Hard Rain
by Ar-Kaos
Summary: My new story. Ranma stand alone AU with hints of Shimura. A feudal future in the sprawling metropolis that is TokyoCit. Ranma is a rogue exlawman who finds himself tangled up in the society's dark underbelly. Nabiki enlists his help to rescue Akane RN
1. Prelude to a kill

Chapter one. Welcome to Tokyo-cit.

The weather Sat was malfunctioning again and a storm was lashing the metropolis. Not that the streets didn't need a wash but it was doing nothing for Officer Genma Saotome's mood.

This was Tokyo-Cit the biggest urban sprawl on the planet. It was home to nearly two billion citizens and still more nulls. The city was of course massively divided, rich from poor, those on the system from those who remained SIN-less. But now a new trend was making matters still worse, a resugence of feudalism. Genma was no saint that was true but what he saw from these self-proclaimed noble houses made him sick to the core. Already they were asserting their right to own labour, not just employ it in unfair terms but own it. Under the guise of re-awakening the Bushido code the so-called nobility were taking away man's last possession

Genma had been an officer of the Tokyo law for all his life, and had worked from one end of the city to the other. Sure he had taken a few bribes and misused his powers a little when it suited him but that was just the grease that kept the gears turning. And yes he had a wife and a child, despite the regs specifically banning such activity for an active officer. The way he saw it the rules were there to be bent and what he did was none of their business. Sure he had used some of that grease to put his boy into the best military academy in the city, and to make sure that he got the best instructors while he was there, but hey what was a parent to do.

So here he was on foot patrol through the streets and pedways of Nerima, chewing an illegal narcotic and quietly not noticing a few of the petty crimes that occurred every day in the poorer areas of the city. Little crimes like drug-dealing, extortion and prostitution. He stopped briefly at an okonoykami stand, got his 'free sample' and wandered on. Around him rose the tall con-apts of the district, vast self contained towers that housed thousands of souls. Each one contained everything from schools, clinics and gyms to offices and manufactories. Each was connected to the rest of the city by flight pads, roads, mag-lev trains and a vast array of plazas and walkways. Generally speaking the higher up the towers you got the more luxurious the facilities and habitations became. The flip side of that is that deep down near the heavily polluted City Bottom, the con-apts became lawless mazes of the dispossessed.

Even before the rise of the noble houses there were always people who the system simply pretended did not exist. Without a System Identification Number, SIN, such people were doomed to a life in the grey economy. They couldn't get jobs, own living space, register a car or get any form of government help. They had to rely on so called Ripper-Docs for their healthcare and criminals for almost everything else. Gangs and syndicates controlled most of the commerce and daily lives of the SINless. And the rest of society ignored them.

Today Genma was meeting an old friend, Tendo Soun. They had trained together and walked their beats together for years before Soun had left the force. The poor sap had fallen head over heels for one of the mid-level working girls and let her persuade him to do the honourable thing. His buddy had set up a happy little home and begun teaching defence classes to the proles. She had dropped three lovely little daughters which the two of them busily raising them to be model cits until Kimiko died. Soun fell to pieces and the three daughters were growing wilder and wilder as time went by. Of course before Genma saw his buddy he was just going to stop by a friend's place and have a quiet little chat.

"Ah Genma my man, good to see you," said a portly man sat behind the best table in the house. The two of them were in a fancy nightclub, still being cleaned up from the night before. Near the boss stood two heavy looking Yojimbo, genetically tailored bodyguards of unquestionable loyalty. "You've come for our monthly chat?"

"Yes please Higurasi-sama" Genma replied, eyes bright with greed.

"Have you got time to eat my friend?" the crimelord asked, and Genma was not stupid enough to demur. This was the way Higurasi asked Genma to do things for him, and was normally very lucrative indeed.

"Large things are on the wind" the boss started "the large operators are putting the squeeze on smaller families like mine. What I hear is that the official Yakuza are getting help, official help."

"I would like to help you Uncle," Genma apologised using the more familiar title, "but it seems that real lawmen like myself are out of favour these days."

"The wind is bowing and we must bend with it" said the boss, his voice sad. "I am sorry Genma, I had no choice." From behind the lawman came the sound of the door closing. Genma knew who it was before he even turned.

Two red and white armoured internal affairs officers stood there. They made no effort to hide either their noble alliegance or their willingnees to use force. "Officer Saotome Genma you are held over by Law!" came the voice of one of the armoured officers. "For the crimes of corruption and collusion with criminals you are under arrest."

And with that Genma's life crashed down. As he stood up he whispered, "Take care of Ranma." And then he was led away, only a swift trial standing between him and ignominious execution.

-

* * *

- 

A ten year-old Ranma watched the death of his father. It was broadcast on a large screen, compulsory viewing for all cadets. Only once before had Ranma even seen a man die, and that had been nothing like this.

The twenty foot high hologram of Saotome Genma apologised for his crimes and formally begged the forgiveness of the Emperor before cutting his own belly open and having his head chopped clean from his shoulders. No detail was spared, not his spilling guts and not his fountaining jugular vein.

Even at this age Ranma knew better than to show any emotion. The other cadets had already made it painfully clear to him that he was out of place here and that they would leap on any opportunity to see him gone. So the young cadet buried his feelings and kept his oath to himself.

-

* * *

-

"How is young Saotome taking it?" Two men stood in an office overlooking the mess hall of the academy. Instructors at the Academy, they were old-school, both veterans of an overseas war, and both friends of the late Saotome Genma.

"Still don't think we should have let him keep the name." Said the second officer.

"It's a common enough name, nobody will be able to prove the connection," replied he first speaker, "but I was asking how he was handling it."

"Since the 'event' he has been working harder than ever. That schedule his father forced on him is lightweight by comparison. He's retreated even further away from the other cadets, to be honest I think its only a matter of time before one of them pushes him too far."

"Would that be a problem?"

"Only for the other one. I don't think I have ever seen anyone as capable as him even in the graduating years."

"He's that good?"

"Better, but there is more to it. He's taken on a nasty bent recently, been destroying his opponents rather than just beating them. He always stops just short of breaking the rules but it sure looks like he wants to go further."

"What are we going to do?"

"What can we do? We'll keep training him, try and get him out of the academy as much as possible and hope the kid doesn't kill himself training too hard."

"You called Nodoka?"

"Nope."

"and you don't intend to?"

"Anything that connects him to his father can only do him harm."

"So he loses his mother too?"

"Looks like it."

"May the Kami help us all."


	2. Trouble and strife

**Chapter 2. Nabiki's trouble.**

Tendo Nabiki was not a happy woman. Everything seemed to be trying to go wrong today. Her new green dress had not been delivered, leaving hr in her street clothes for one of the most important meetings of her life and now the damn Weather Sat was back on the fritz, first time in a decade, and it had to be today. Today she finally squared her debts. The Hab and gym that her dad had remorgaged so many times would be free and clear again. She even figured that there might be enough money left to send her baby sister to college. All she had to do was pay off the 'Shark.

Ever since she was young she had been fighting this battle against bankruptcy. She had worked every dirty trick she could find, up to and including a very short foray into prostitution. To this day she could still feel the man's hands on her, and had never felt truly clean since. She had tried to shield her family from the worst of what was out there and mostly it had worked. Akane seemed oblivious even to the extent that she made matter worse, but Nabiki couldn't hate hr for it. Somehow her baby sister's naivety was reassuring, solid proof that she was doing her job.

This latest score was one of her biggest yet, netting nearly a year's salary for an average civil servant in one swift swoop. Sure it had been technically illegal but so was gambling and that never stopped anyone. She had managed to shift a thousand slightly out of date food parcels. They had been earmarked for incineration but she had wheedled them into her own car and punted them on to a downside operator.

So here she was at a swanky nightclub in the Nerima night district, about to break even for the first time since Dad folded. The door was opened by a gargantuan man with metal studs in his knuckles and a scar running the length of his butt ugly face. The interior was dark and ominously empty, smelling of seat and spilt booze. Around the room pretty young girls in revealing costumes were tidying, moving around like ghosts in the gloom. The only occupants other than her that were not working were sat around a table to the left of the bar.

Higurashi had weathered the storm that was the Cultural Revival, and survived where many others hadn't. He still ran most of the organised crime in this area and still stuck to some of the older values, like ignoring what 'caste' you were and mistreating everyone more or less equally. The crimeboss was sat in his neo-samurai garb and kept his hands tucked into his obi. Nabiki knew from the vine that he did that to hide the three fingers his leniency had cost him and suppressed a shiver glad she had steered clear of the organised outfits.

"Ahh Nabiki-chan," the boss began, politely bowing. She returned the bow, just a touch deeper for respect. "Won't you join me" he invited, waving his good hand to indicate a seat opposite. Nabiki gracefully folded her skirts and sat down. "Ahh, are you sure you won't reconsider. I could make you very comfortable…"

"Thank you for the kind offer Higurashi-sama" Nabiki said lowering her eyes, "But I cannot leave my family." It was an old game that had become something of a tradition. Higurashi had never hidden his attraction to the beautiful woman Nabiki had become nor that she could make good money 'working' for him. Nabiki had made a decision long ago to play it solo and for a reason she had yet to really fathom he had respected her decision, even sent some work her way once or twice.

"One hundred and twenty thousand standard." She announced, placing several large wads of cash onto the table, if the thought of handing that much money over at one time hurt she tried not to show it. "Which I believe clears the account" she added.

He swept the money to one side, where one of his Genetic soldiers proceeded to count it into a handy enamelled box. "Not that I don't trust you Nabiki-chan, but You do have a certain reputation…"

"I don't know, a girl passes one bad note and all of a sudden she's marked for life," Nabiki said in mock dismay. This too was an old game.

"One note?" he exclaimed, "Try a hundred, and they weren't just bad they were an insult to the forger's art."

"Ah but its not my fault the foreign idiots can't tell a yen from a yak." She finished still smiling. They were both enjoying this immensely. Her heart was hammering as the Yojimbo brought a black book over. The boss opened it up, to reveal two crystal screens. He pretended to check down the list and then said "Ah, here we are Tendo. One hundred thousand standard."

"Plus the extra twenty for early payment," Nabiki added.

"Of course how could I forget."

"Maybe you're getting too old for this job Uncle."

"Does that mean you'll reconsider being my successor?" he asked only half joking.

"My father would never forgive me." She replied, hiding the temptation.

"So does this mean we're through?" he asked, with some genuine concern.

"Of course not Uncle," she teased, "we'll just have to find new things to work together on."

"Nabiki" he said suddenly serious. "Your sister…"

"Akane?" Nabiki asked suddenly worried.

"Yes" he answered, stalling. "She has annoyed some very important people." He added after a pause.

"And you shouldn't be telling me this?" Nabiki asked, already seeing the implications.

"No. I shouldn't" he said regretfully.

"If I get her out of town?"

"Its too late child." He said with regret, remembering another friend he had given up a decade ago.

"No, you didn't!" Nabiki begged, and then she was up and running.

-

Even before she got to her door she could see there had been trouble. Her family owned a sizable place, or hab, down on one of the best plazas in the block. Customers used to go straight from the street to the dojo office and there used to be plenty of them. The business had allowed her father to live in one of the best patrolled areas of the district, private police hired to protect the shops and shoppers who used the plaza. Two of those police lay staring at the ceiling, ragged holes torn into their chests by high velocity lead. Nabiki ignored them and ran into the crowd at her door.

When she reached the interior she finally found her father, kneeling in the centre of the trashed family room, clutching a yellow gi.

"Dad?" she asked, moving round him. As she caught sight of his face her blood ran cold. It was a mess, whoever they were he had not given in easy. The price was obvious, bruises and blood covered his face, but worst of all she could clearly see the jelly of his left eye dribbling down his face. Looking further she could see that his left hand was similarly mangled. He was weeping silent tears from his good eye.

She fell to her knees opposite him, for a moment completely lost. Then gentle hands reached out to hold her shoulders, Kasumi's hands. Doctor Tofu had come with his bride and now everything was going to be alright.

Only it wasn't Akanewas gone. The bird-masked men that had done this had come for hr and now she was gone. Nabiki felt black despair rob her of all else. She cried, for Akane for her father and for her shattered dreams. All the while Kasumi just held her and let her cry. Finally Nabiki looked up, her soulful eyes looking to her sister for re-assurance.

Kasumi didn't cry instead she met Nabiki's gaze and said "Don't worry, we'll find a way." That finally did it. They were the same words her sister had said at their mother's funeral, the same words she had said when the first final notice arrived and the same words she had said when Nabiki had failed to make the money for the mortgage payments and they had taken mother's gravestone away.

Inside another small part of her died. Nabiki gave up her last dream of college and happily ever after and replaced it with cold hate.

"They took her alive, that means there's still hope." Kasumi said, "We'll find her yet."

These words did the trick, Nabiki wiped her eyes and stood. "Damn right we'll find her. And I know just where to start!" And then she was pushing her way back through the crowd.

-

Crimeboss Higurashi was hardly surprised when Nabiki came storming back in. Yes he had expected her to come back but not this soon. He also expected her to be more polite.

Nabiki strode over to the same table she had sat so happily at not half an hour beforehand, and threw it onto its side. She grabbed the boss by his fancy robe and in a low voice demanded "Who Took My Sister?" Higurashi held up a palm stopping the Yojimbo from turning the young woman into person paste.

"I don't know" he said looking right back at her. Then he pointedly looked at her hand. Reality crashed in, Nabiki knew he wasn't lying. Her energy fled and she slumped into a seat.

"They came with orders from way over my head," he explained, waving a waitress to fetch a drink. "Rude as hell, but they could afford to be."

The waitress returned with the drink, Nabiki drank like a woman who had just escaped the Rad-desert that was most of China. The liquor was harsh and burned her throat. Between it and some tightly clenched eyes she fought off the tears.

"Nabs I have known you since the day you were born and I love you like my own but I cannot tell you who those people were." He said with genuine concern in his voice.

"Can't or won't" she said spitefully.

"Same thing my little butterfly," he replied. "what I can do is start you in the right direction. I can give you one name." She looked up hopefully. "Whoa girl, don't get your hopes up too much. Nobody's life would be worth spit if I told you anyone important.

"So who?" she asked, despair warring with hope in her voice.

"His name's Saotome Ranma and he's about the very best sort of help you can hope for."


	3. Enter the deep

**Chapter 3 Ronin**

Nabiki stopped, stunned. She knew some of the story of Saotome Ranma. Almost everyone knew some of it. He had been a slap in the face of the noblest houses for a long time. They had tried to drum him out of the Law keepers, out of the city, and they had failed. He had been sent on hazardous mission after hazardous mission. Assigned a double term on the holocaust squad before he even graduated. And through it all he survived and even prospered. They had been forced to promote him, forced to acknowledge his amazing ability and in the end they were forced to reward him. But that is where it went wrong. Live on nearly every channel the noble council had tried to award him their second highest honour. He had publicly spurned it, had spat at their feet. All the city had heard him tell them where they could stick their medal and their thanks. They heard him say he served the city not a "Body of corrupt stuck up tossers who lied their way to unlawful power." Millions cheered as he stood their defiant, and howled when he was arrested and dragged from the room.

Nobody had heard of him since and that was nearly a year ago.

"What of him?" she asked

"I got him" Higurashi-sama replied.

"What?"

"Well not really got him, but I do know where he is." The crimeboss corrected.

"But why should he help me?"

"Firstly because that's the sort of man he is, and secondly because he's your fiancé." Higurashi said as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

"WHAT?" she asked.

"Your father and his served together, one evening while the two of them were in this very bar they were celebrating something, probably that the pub was open, and they called us all to witness their everlasting oath. Genma promised that his son would marry one of Soun's, your father's, daughters."

"You're serious," Nabiki said incredulously.

"As a heart attack." Higurashi replied.

"My dad never mentioned any of this." Nabiki replied.

"Well that's hardly surprising after what they did to Genma," Higurashi supplied, hiding his own conscience with practiced ease.

"Where do I find him?" Nabiki asked.

"A place called the Nekohanten" he replied, "down in midnight walk."

-

It took Nabiki two days to gather the courage to go to Midnight Walk. She rationalised it by telling herself that she was checking her own sources, making her own enquiries, and waiting for her father to recover. But in the end she had to admit she was just stalling. Midnight walk was, you see, very deep in Nerima. It was well below the radar of society and only an idiot went there without a reason and even they would think twice.

So here she was wearing a heavy coat and discrete body armour along with a heavy pistol that she had never had to use and a selection of flash charges. By her side was a renta-guard for whom she had paid a good quantity of her college fund. And together they were stepping off the Midnight Express into the shady bazaar that was Midnight Walk. Any hope that the two of them would fit in was quickly dashed, everywhere they went eyes followed.

"Tendo-san, I think we ought to hurry," her guard said and even she could tell that he was trying to hide his fear. But she was in no mood to argue. She stopped a passer by and paid him a ridiculously small note for directions to the Nekohanten. Then the two of them hurried to follow those same directions.

It didn't take either of them long to realise that they were being followed. A quartet of very desperate looking thugs were not more than ten paces behind them, and behind them came a veritable crowd of other disreputables, presumably there to pick over what the thugs left.

Nabiki's renta-guard was visibly sweating. He was repeatedly chanting a mantra under his breath. None of this was instilling Nabiki with confidence. But then she saw the sign. They had found the Nekohanten, and with any luck the ronin they sought would be inside.

"What have we here?" came a voice from behind, and her guard did the worst thing possible, he stopped and turned. Even as his gun cleared his holster the thugs were rushing them. Nabiki was pushed aside, and rolled with it. As she got to her knees she heard the wet gurgle that signalled the end of her investment. She pulled her gun and swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. Slowly she saw the crowd turn. A blood spattered man wearing the ragged remnants of a soldier's uniform stepped forwards, in his hand was a knife which he promptly licked clean. "Don't be afraid cutie, we won't huuurt you." He called completely lacking sincerity. He took one pace forwards and she blew his head off.

There was total silence, Nabiki could see the stream of blood pumping from the ruins of thee man's foreshortened head, but everything else was silent. Under her breath she whispered "Shit, I'm dead." And then the crowd charged and she squeezed the trigger.

All of a sudden she was aware she was still alive. The crowd had stopped short. In between her and them stood a man. He was wearing heavy black boots, and trousers in the same colour. His shirt was a scarlet-red and cut-off at the shoulder. She could just make out his black hair, tied back in a pigtail. In his right hand he held a naked blade, shining in the dull light.

"Enough!" he said with a voice of steel. "Take the swiv and go!" His voice left no room for disagreement. The crowd dispersed, leaving only twin pools of blood to show where anything had happened. Nabiki found herself looking at a hand, his hand. She looked up and into the most amazing blue-grey eyes she had ever seen. Her breath caught.

"You okay miss?" he asked, "ya didn't hit yer head or nothing?" To her amazement he seemed genuinely concerned. When she didn't answer immediately her started checking her head. All of a sudden she was overcome with the sheer ridiculousness of the scene and she started laughing. The man leapt back as if she had gone postal. The confused look on his face just made things worse.

Slowly the adrenaline left her system and the reality of what had just happened, what she had just done sunk in. She fainted.

-

* * *

-

Nabiki woke up slowly. Her mouth felt like some sort of rodent had crawled into it and died, and all sorts of muscles ached. The room was dimly lit from a single hotwire bulb set into the ceiling. She was lying on a soft foam pallet beneath some linen sheets. She was also butt naked.

"Nihao!" came a greeting from a girl Nabiki just became aware of sitting on the end of her bed. "Merenary-girl wake up now yes?" the girl was very pretty, with long lavender hair startlingly expressive eyes and a very generous figure. Nabiki sat up a bit and nodded.

"Mercenary girl want eat now, yes?" the girl asked with a very odd accent. "I get Ramen, plenty good, you see."

"Uh, chi-chi ni" Nabiki replied in her best mandarin. The beauty giggled and put a hand up to her own mouth.

"Mercenary girl accent so funny. Shampoo like you." The girl enthused and then kissed Nabiki full on the lips, before flouncing out of the room through a curtained door.

Just as Nabiki recovered there was a polite cough from the other side of the curtain. It was definitely male. She pulled the sheet up around her chest and called for him to enter. Sure enough it was the man from the street. And yet again he managed to surprise her. The moment he saw her state of dress, or lack of it, he went a bright red and spun around to put his back to her. He stammered and she could see his neck lit up beetroot-style. She suppressed the urge to laugh, but only just.

"Saotome-san?" she inquired, its okay you can turn around. When he did she had a big smile of satisfaction on her face. He was still looking anywhere but her and fidgeting like a schoolboy. "Ranma, you are hardly the first man to see me like this." He reached up behind his head and looked up into her eyes, "Uh hi I'm Saotome Ranma, sorry bout this."

"'Bout what?" she asked, mimicking his speech.

"Uh, everything I think," he said sounding hopeful.

"Including saving me?" she asked with a teasing grin and a sparkle in her eyes.

"Er no?" he replied.

"I had expected someone-

"Taller?" he interrupted, "Yeah I get that a lot. It's the cameras they have in the great hall, you see they-

"Suaver" she interrupted

"Suaver?" he asked.

"You know like the superspies," Nabiki informed him.

"I could try suave if you like" he replied.

"No I think the way you are is just fine" she said suppressing her own blush. Inside she was just reeling, she hadn't felt like this in years, and yet here she was ready to giggle like the giddy schoolgirl she never was. "Saotome you really are something." She said.

"Yeah well, I'm the best!" he said without a hint of irony.

"Really, remind me to try you some time," she teased, just to see him blush again. She was immediately rewarded with a cherry red and him dropping his eyes to the floor.

Any further amusement was cut off when the china-girl came bouncing back in carrying a steaming bowl. Nabiki watched, shocked, as she leant in to kiss Ranma, it was not an innocent expression of anything. She was even more surprised when she found herself on the receiving end of the same treatment. When the beauty finally stopped Nabiki was left blinking and more than a little stunned. Which is why she didn't stop the girl slipping into bed and pulling her onto her lap. Nabiki looked up to see Ranma all but bursting a vein the back of his neck was glowing so bright.

"Horse-boy so cute when embarrassed, you not agree?" Shampoo asked, at the same time holding a helping of the Chinese noodles up to the other girl's mouth.

"Yes" Nabiki managed through the food. Only to find it was way too hot and she ended up frantically fanning her mouth.

"Oh so sorry Mercenary girl," her Chinese companion said. "Forgot was too too hot. Shampoo will cool for you." And then Nabiki was treated to the sight of her sultry companion gently blowing on her food while looking at her through her own eyelashes. Now Nabiki was hardly an expert in same-sex relations but she could swear this girl was putting the moves on her.

A thought that was only further confirmed when the china-girl started staring at Nabiki's now bear breasts. "You have too too nice body," the girl purred, pressing just a little closer.

"Ulp" Nabiki managed, pulling up the sheet. An action that made her companion pout in the cutest way, but only for a moment before she went back to smiling and feeding her new friend.

"Er should I go?" Ranma, who they had both forgotten, said, his back still turned.

"No No," said Shampoo "You should jump into bed too, we make too too much fun together." Ranma barely managed a strangled gargle before he ran from the room. This time Nabiki did laugh.

"You're right Shampoo, he is cute when he's flustered." Nabiki said

"Of course Shampoo right" the girl answered, "she is mistress of cuteness!" the last was added with the cutest little grin. Nabiki found herself kissing the other girl.

"Thank-you" the other girl said when the kiss ended, "Mean a lot to Shampoo that you not afraid of her like Ranma" and this time her voice was deadly serious.

"Like Ranma?" Nabiki asked.

"Ever since he rescue Shampoo he been afraid of her," Shampoo said with tears starting at her eyes, "Won't start kiss, won't start hug, won't even let Shampoo do best things."

"Rescued?" Nabiki asked, starting to suspect a horrible truth.

"Yes, Shampoo is a Genetic-ally modified Fun-girl." The girl said with a nod and a smile of satisfaction at getting the words right. "Ranma rescue shampoo from too too bad place and bring her to Neko-hanten where Shampoo is waitress."

"Oh you poor girl" Nabiki said, wrapping her arms around her companion and hugging her.

"You want do fun things?" Shampoo asked suddenly hopeful.

"Maybe later" Nabiki replied kissing the bubbly girl on the nose.

"Shampoo will check with Ranma he not mind." Shampoo said. "He get very upset when Shampoo make nice-nice with people"

"Don't worry Sham-chan, I'll ask him" Nabiki said, swinging her legs out of the bed.

"Okay- dokay" the beauty replied. "I take bowl back to Obaba-san. Bai-Bai" she finished with a wave and was headed for the door when Nabiki stopped her. As she pulled the girl to a stop she was on the receiving end of another kiss. "What Mercenary girl want, she change mind?"

"No," Said the off balance middle Tendo, "do you think you could find my clothes?"

"Nope" shampoo replied and again moved to leave. Nabiki stopped her again.

"Why not?" she asked.

"Ranma give away, he say they trouble magnet and that people who sell make much better use of them than you." Shampoo replied.

"Can you find me something else then?" Nabiki asked, hiding her anger. She ha really liked that jacket.

"Yes Shampoo do that" Shampoo bounced, before kissing Nabiki again and leaving.

Less than a minute later Ranma pulled the curtain aside, said "ACK!" and leapt back out. Nabiki tried very hard not to laugh at him.

"Ranma can I have those clothes please?" she requested. So he thrust them through the curtain without looking. Nabiki took them, making sure to touch Ranma's hand in the process. He really was too much fun to tease. What she discovered was a rather immodest red Chinese style minidress, and some slippers. "No underwear?" she asked.

"Ack!" he replied. She heard him swallow and try again "Don't have any. Shampoo refuses to - ACK!" he finished cutting himself off when he realised what he was talking about.

"I noticed," Nabiki replied.

"ACK!" he added, intelligently.

"Okay all ready" she said, causeing him to come in, just as she was doing the last few buttons up.

"Ack!" he said, whirling around again.

"Now someone has really got you tied up in knots," Nabiki purred mischievously, running her nails down his arm. "Someone really ought to cure you of that," she whispered into his ear breathily.

"Ack!" he replied, more quietly and with a shiver.

"Although knots might be fun" she said walking past him. As she looked at the short corridor she was in she could swear she heard him fall over. Damn but he was fun to tease.

A little later they both went down the stairs, her leading, quietly confident that the extra sway she put into her hips would not be wasted and with a big happy smile on her face.


	4. Gathering Storm

**Chapter 4: View from the bottom.**

The Nekohanten is a restaurant set in an area where many people struggle to find enough to eat. Even so its' dining area rarely sat empty. The main reason for this was the way Cologne ran the place. She was a fixture down on Midnight Walk, nobody could remember her not being there and her estimated age varied wildly depending on who you talked to. Cologne liked people, that was the trick, nearly every even halfway decent person in the depths called her 'Great Grandmother' and every single person knew better than to cross her. She made fantastic food out of the barest ingredients and rarely accepted money for her service. Instead Cologne sat at the heart of her own micro economy. She took payment in favours and gave out in kind. The withered old crone was the centre piece of an intricate spider's web of influence that made the Midnight Walk work.

Right now she was entertaining her newest guest. Ranma sat on one stool next to the counter and Nabiki sat on another, with a bubbly Shampoo wrapped around her, slowly finger combing her hair (and surreptitiously breathing along the back of her neck and side of her face). Meanwhile Cologne was stirring a giant pot that perpetually bubbled on her stove. (It took a brave man to mention any similarity with a witch's cauldron.)

"So how do you like my place child?" Cologne asked. Nabiki, happy to be looked after for once, just settled into Shampoo's attention a little harder and mumbled her thanks. "Glad to hear it." Cologne finished.

"Good ramen, old ghoul" Ranma said around his food. She of course bashed him on the head with her ever-present stick.

"Youngsters these days, no respect" she lamented, causing Nabiki to giggle just a little. "So tell me sweetie what brings a swiv like you down into the pits?"

"Swiv?" Nabiki asked, slowly catching up with the conversation.

"Means a topsider, System willingly involved times one, swiv" Ranma explained.

"Nice" Nabiki said irony dripping.

"Bout the nicest thing you'll be called round here m'lady" Cologne said, and there was an edge to her voice.

"You gotta forgive Obaba, she get cranky when she don't get enough love" Ranma said, wrapping his arms around the crone. She protested but it didn't take a genius to see the care in her eyes.

"Let go of me you spire-happy dog-soldier." Cologne said trying for anger but failing. Suddenly it hit Nabiki, here was a family, dysfunctional and twisted but a family none the less. She could see how much they cared for each other and her heart ached for that closeness. Then Ranma asked if she was 'gonna finish that' and swiped her bowl and suddenly she realised that she was somehow becoming part of that family. She wrapped an arm around Shampoo and hid her face in the girl's hair to hide the tears that threatened. Ranma looked at Cologne and they both shrugged.

"So little miss money-bags what brings you to our hole?" Cologne asked, and suddenly Nabiki was the centre of the trios full attention.

"I came to find him" she said looking straight at Ranma. The temperature seemed to drop.

"Why girl, and think very carefully before you answer" Cologne said an all of a sudden the knife that the crone was holding and Shampoo's hand on the back of her neck seemed a whole lot less innocent. Nabiki swallowed.

"I need his help." She said and felt the room relax.

"Okay," Ranma said, as if it was that simple.

"Don't you want to know what sort of help I need?" Nabiki asked more than a little incredulous.

"Nope, I trust you," Ranma replied still eating. The simple statement hit her right where it counted. Here was a man who had defied the world and told the most powerful men in the land to shove their medal up their well-abused rectum and he trusted her. Not because she had convinced him of anything, or because he knew how she operated but because he thought her one of his people. She reached a hand out and pulled his face to hers, and kissed him.

"Whassat fer?" he mumbled, still locked eye to eye.

"Acceptance" she replied quietly and because she was still looking at him she missed Cologne's nod.

"Even if he doesn't I would like to" Cologne interrupted. The question brought Nabiki out of her trance.

"My sister was kidnapped, Higurashi-sama said you might help" Nabiki said looking at Ranma.

"Did he now?" asked Cologne. "How is the whippersnapper."

"Old" Nabiki replied with a grin. Cologne faked a surprised look.

"Oh how the years fly by," she lamented, "Oh woe, woe is me! Will I never find a rest for these old bones."

"That'd be the day" muttered Ranma, only to be hit with the stick (and a hidden smile).

"So why him?" Cologne asked.

"Because he's my fiancé" Nabiki informed them, choosing her moment when Ranma had a mouthful. Ramen sprayed, Ranma choked, the others laughed.

"Fiancé?" he coughed.

"Yep," Nabiki agreed, smiling at his peril, " Our fathers arranged it while we were still babies." Then she noticed the temperature had dropped. Shampoo seemed just as confused as her but the other two had frozen and tense didn't even come close to their body language.

" What Do You Know Of My Father?" Ranma asked very precisely. Nabiki forced her mind into focus.

"Not a lot, only what Higurashi-sama told me." She said

"What did he tell you girl?" the crone asked, making Nabiki groan internally about being double-teamed.

"Just that his father and mine were buddies and more for a long time and that they promised that their children would marry. That's all I swear." Nabiki said a little too fast.

"I'm sorry Nabiki," Ranma said, without adding a 'san' or anything else. Quietly a little part of Nabiki jumped for joy. "My father is a really touchy subject." Then Nabiki made the connection. What Higurashi-sama had said and what Ranma implied, shit, Ranma's dad was THAT Saotome.

"That has got to suck" she said, more to herself than anyone else.

"Tell me about it!" Ranma said, and Cologne just put another helping into his bowl. Love by feeding.

"getting back to your sister," Cologne interrupted "Tell us more." So Nabiki spilled the whole story, Higurashi's reticence, her father's maiming, the shattering of her dream, everything. By the time she was finished it was hours later and somehow she ahd ended up sitting in Shampoo's lap and clutching Ranma's hand. She was vaguely aware of the tears that had tracked down her face and the vulnerability she had just shown to what amounted to complete strangers. But she was also aware of the burden that she felt had just lifted and the real concern that surrounded her.

"Mercenary-girl not have to worry Ranma make everything right. You see" Shampoo said, with utmost sincerity.

"Shampoo is right" Cologne said "For once that idiot boy Higursasi got something right. Ranma will see you right, either that or the Pope's a Buddhist." Nabiki turned to Ranma and their eyes met, for a moment it seemed like she could see his soul.

"Nabiki," he started "I swear that we will find your sister. And neither heaven nor earth shall impede us" he intoned citing the motto of a long forgotten order.


	5. Opening moves

**Chapter 5: opening moves.**

As they sat there man came bolting in to the restaurant. Nabiki was amazed at the lack of reaction, she had almost leapt out of her skin, only to be stilled by Cologne's gentle touch. He quickly stopped and dragged his cap off his head, clutching it in his hands.

"Cologne-sama," he bowed awkwardly, "they're busting my place up." Cologne looked at Ranma who nodded and stood, pulling a baton from behind the bar.

"Lead on," Ranma ordered "You may want to hurry," he added as the man shuffled out awkwardly. Shampoo kissed Nabiki again and followed the now jogging pair.

"What was that about?" Nabiki asked out loud

"We run a little protective service down here, Ranma is about as close as we come to a cop." Cologne explained, "Or were you referring to Shampoo?"

"I don't know maybe both." Nabiki replied.

"Ranma is called out about twice a day, the people 'round here are about as desperate as it gets, it makes them do stupid things. As for Shampoo I'm afraid that's the way she is. When they gened her they made sure she would be 'affectionate'."

"I sort of got that impression," Nabiki added, "Who did that?"

"Some real assholes calling themselves the Musk Dynasty," Cologne answered. "She was meant to be some rich-boy's plaything. Fortunately for her Ranma found the gene-shop and bust it wide open. She had been out of the tank long enough for some 'training' but seems to be remarkably well adjusted for all that."

"She's very…. bubbly" Nabiki added.

"Yes, she certainly is," Cologne replied, "and I am afraid she will probably never learn better. She simply is not equipped to learn new ways to interact."

"So is she, I mean does Ranma…she said they weren't but there are only so many rooms."

"Yes they do sleep in the same bed, but no they don't" Cologne answered. "He is fiercely protective of her, perhaps too protective, and I don't think the poor idiot really understands what he is being asked for."

"He doesn't understand?" asked Nabiki, suddenly interested. "How can he not?"

"He was raised to be unaware of the details. The system is dedicated to producing officers capable of understanding the emotions involved but not being able to relate those same factors to themselves. It has only been since he came to me that he has been making those associations. And I am really in no hurry to make him worldly like that."

"He is cute when he gets embarrassed," Nabiki agreed, seeing the hidden smile.

"That he is," Cologne agreed with a chuckle. "If I were a century younger he'd be getting an education I can tell you." Nabiki laughed out loud and for a while the two of them just chatted meaningless 'girl talk' staving off the darkness that surrounded them.

Ranma and shampoo returned soon afterwards. They were both stopped by the two women at the counter turning and laughing at them as they stepped through the door. Ranma blushed and Shampoo just looked confused, cute and confused.

"You had better watch this one Ranma," Cologne laughed "she'll eat you alive" Nabiki pushed the crone away.

"Shh" sh said in a conspiratorial stage whisper "Don't warn him."

"Ahh but its more fun when they run." The two burst out laughing again. Ranma looked at Shampoo, she looked at him and they shrugged. The two of them then resumed their places, Ranma at the bar, Shampoo happily playing with Nabiki's hair.

"We should get to business" Cologne started, absent-mindedly serving a customer. "Tell us what you know child and we'll make some plans. So Nabiki did, she told them everything she knew, from the details of the men's masks to the style of baton they used. It was not much more information than she had already told them but seemed to get a reaction.

"The first thing you need to do is get your family somewhere safe. This doctor's clinic is just too connected to you, anyone looking will find them in no time flat." Ranma started. "Then we'll go and ask some of the working girls at Higurashi's a few quiet questions."

"I already did that, they don't know anything." Nabiki said.

"YOU did that," Ranma argued "No offence but Higurashi is smart enough to feed you some girls who do know nothing." Nabiki nodded, reluctantly conceding the point. "Then we'll go shake down the Guide" Ranma added.

"The guide?" Nabiki asked.

"He's a 'modern historian' working up at the big University. These masks sounded significant, my bet is that they are part of the whole Cultural Revival thing, and if they are then he'll be able to point us in some direction." Nabiki nodded again.

"I could see if I can get anything out of the Lawmen?" She asked.

"Try, but I'm afraid you'll probably find them as bought as Higurashi's gang" Ranma answered, with bitterness showing. "Are you two gonna be okay for a few days?" he asked Cologne and Shampoo.

"Shampoo not go with Ranma?" she asked with a trembling lip.

"Shampoo is too too valuable to Ranma to take into some places he has to go." Ranma said picking up her hand. "And Ranma needs Shampoo to look after Obaba, Okay"

"Okay" the girl said in a small voice. "But Ranma got to promise he come back soon!" she insisted.

"Of course I will Sham-chan" he said tenderly, and she sealed the deal with a kiss.

"Shampoo go pack Ranma things" she said bouncing off up the stairs.

"You really should be nicer to her you know," said Nabiki reproachfully.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"It really hurts her that you won't start anything." Nabiki explained.

"What do you mean?" Ranma asked, colouring.

"Not that," Nabiki insisted "at least not until you are comfortable with it," she teased, "What I meant was the little things, you know, hugs and the occasional kiss."

Ranma stopped still and looked straight at her " I will Not take advantage of her!" he insisted.

"And I'm not asking you to. All I am asking is that you treat her like a human being not a wind up toy." Nabiki insisted.

"I'll think about it" Ranma said thoughtfully.

"You do that son" Cologne told him. "'Bout time someone set him straight." She added to Nabiki. "While you are topside I also suggest that you go and see your fathers' old boss" the two others stopped and started at her, "You mean I haven't mentioned Happy before? How odd."

"No you haven't!" asserted Ranma "In fact you haven't told me much of what you know about my pop."

"You never asked." Cologne said with a smug grin. Ranma growled. "When we've got the time you might want to do that," she added.

"Happy?" Nabiki prompted.

"He's the sector boss for your fathers' old beat in Nerima," she explained. "and an incorrigible pervert." She added almost as an afterthought.

-

* * *

A few minutes later Shampoo returned with a small daypack and a couple of coats. She handed a coat to each of them and the pack to Ranma. And then looked at them and kissed them both, passionately. "Shampoo wait for friends come back, look after old granny." She said very seriously, and was rewarded with a bop on the head, which she proceeded to rub in the cutest manner.

"That girl even looks good when she's being hit" Nabiki murmured.

"Best you not think why," Ranma told her seriously, which suddenly shut Nabiki up.

"Okay granny, Sham-chan, We'll see you in a few days," he said, hefting the pack onto his back. Nabiki nudged him, he looked at her and then the downcast expression on Shampoo's face. He stepped over, gently cradled Shampoo's face and kissed her on the cheek. This of course released bubbly china-girl in full force. HE found himself in a full body glomp.

"Shampoo too too too happy" she said punctuating her words with kisses. "Now she know Ranma love her."

"Ack!" he replied, bubbly girl rubbing against him not being something he had a lot of experience of.

"And when friends come back Shampoo show them just how happy they make her," the girl added with more than a little suggestiveness.

"Ack!" he replied, insightfully. Eventually they managed to talk the happy girl down and Nabiki and Ranma started on their way.

"Si what's in the pack?" Nabiki asked.

"Mostly food," Ranma replied.

"Mostly?" Nabiki asked.

"Yup mostly." He answered.

-

* * *

-

Their first stop was Tofu's clinic where Nabiki's family were still staying. The two of them were shown into the back room by Tofu's receptionist, and there they found Kasumi sitting by her father's bedside. Her father did not look well, he was hooked up to a respirator and several monitors. Kasumi saw her sister and jumped to her feet. Soon the two were furiously hugging one another.

"We were so worried," Kasumi sobbed.

"I'm sorry" Nabiki said "but I'm safe now."

"The guard rental said you failed to check in. They said you were probably…" Kasumi trailed off, noticing Ranma at the door.

"I nearly was. If it wasn't for Ranma here I certainly would be." Nabiki replied.

"Thank you for your help Ranma-sama" Kasumi said bowing.

"It's the least I could do," he said suddenly embarrassed again.

"He's not very good with women" Nabiki whispered, cheekily.

"So I see," Kasumi replied with a smile of her own.

"Hey, knock it off guys!" he said.

"Gomen Saotome-sama" Kasumi said, making it clear she recognised him from the fateful show too.

"How's dad?" Nabiki asked, changing the subject

"He had a heart attack and Tofu's had to fit him with a pacemaker," Kasumi informed them. "Tofu says that he'll make a full recovery, and with some clone therapy he might regain use of the eye." Nabiki sucked air through her teeth, clone therapy was far from cheap.

"I'll see what I can do," she said.

"We always manage in he end" Kasumi said, turning back to her father. Ranma coughed pointedly in the background.

"Sis we have to move you," Nabiki said seriously.

"Why?" the eldest sister asked.

"When Ranma and I start digging we are going to annoy some pretty nasty people, they can find you here." Nabiki explained.

"But father?" Kasumi asked.

"Will have to be well enough first," Nabiki agreed. "I'll start setting things up, there's a nunnery that owes me a favour or two, we'll see if we can't hide you there." With that Nabiki moved over, briefly touched her father's arm and left, taking Ranma with her.

"I'll go look those girls up," Ranma said.

"Cheating on your fiancée already?" Nabiki asked with mock hurt.

"What? NO!" he replied suddenly flustered. "You did that on purpose!" he accused.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't help it," she replied with a cheeky grin. "But if you want to punish me…."

"Ack, see you later" he said and bolted off into the Plaza.

Nabiki sat down at Tofu's desk and started making calls. A few hours later Ranma returned to see a delivery van parked outside with two men loading empty boxes into it. He surreptitiously walked up to Nabiki, who had also taken the time to change out of the dress.

"Nice, but the boxes are too light." He said

"Yeah, but I didn't want Pops pulling anything," she replied. "Any luck?"

"Not much, got a better description of the masks and the name of one of the crew"

"Yes?" Nabiki asked.

"Kiima" Ranma replied.

"Doesn't mean a thing to me," Nabiki responded.

"Nor me, but it's a start," Ranma added, looking around. "Damn!" he said.

"What is it?" Nabiki asked suddenly concerned.

"Watchers," he replied flicking his eyes towards a pair of people nearbye.

"How can you tell?" Nabiki asked.

"Attitude and the fact the one with the e-book hasn't turned a page since I got here." Ranma replied.

"What do we do?" Nabiki asked.

"I don't think they have spotted what's going on but we had better draw them away anyway." Ranma replied. "Follow my lead." Then he set off to walk past them.

"I'll go meet the grass you think about where you are going to spend the night," he said loudly enough for the pair to hear.

"Sure, but I sort of thought that I would be spending it with you," she replied.

"Err I'm not sure that's appropriate," he stammered, internally peeved that she couldn't seem to be serious for one moment. But the ruse had done the trick and the two men got up to follow them.

"I'll catch the tube," Nabiki said, pointedly. Ranma nodded to show he understood and then they separated, Nabiki sticking to the main thoroughfare and Ranma heading for a darker alley.

The man following Ranma never stood a chance, he lost sight of Ranma when he turned a corner and the next thing he knew he was flat on his back chocking through a bruised windpipe.

"Now citizen you are going to answer some questions," Ranma said, placing one knee on the man's chest and taking hold of his arm. Luckily for the sneak he quickly grasped the situation and Ranma only had to break his arm once. Then Ranma knocked him out, stole his phone and ran to catch up with Nabiki.

She was standing on the tube platform, her tail a few steps away to her left. The train could just be heard coming down the track and she was wondering where the hell Ranma had got to.

Suddenly her quarry hurled forwards. Just in time for the Train to cream him under its runner. Ranma was standing far enough away from where the man had stood that even if Nabiki had not been feeling queezy she wouldn't have connected him with the man's untimely end without foreknowledge.

As the two of them sat side by side on the tubetrain she whispered, "Was that really necessary?"

"No, but he deserved it," he replied and pointedly did not elaborate.

"So where now?" she asked

"Tokyo U" he replied and she nodded.


	6. Too Too sad story of

**Chapter 6: Knowledge is power.**

Tokyo University had grown with the city, despite the increasing ability to study from home the Sprawling complex continued to attract the brightest and best academics the mega-city had to offer. It had physically grown into a city in its own rights, one with it's own unique character, with good areas and bad, with its own peculiar organisations. He faculty of modern history was set into a gigantic tower styled as a neo-castle, broad sweeping roves descended the various levels, it was only when one got close to the structure that you realised its immense scale.

The Faculty of Modern History also had a dirty secret. It was the think-tank of the Cultural Renaissance. It was from these hallowed halls that the structures and ideals had flown. Ideas that had essentially denied the humanity of broad swathes of the population had been first laid down in this seat of learning. Just looking at the building brought a shiver to Nabiki's spine.

"You okay Nabiki?" Ranma asked. His hair was currently dyed a bright red and tied up in a Samurai queue. He was also sporting the neo-Hakama and visible swords that had become so popular among the new 'elite.' Somehow all of these things had come out of he little bag he was carrying.

She nodded and asked "So how well do you know this guy?"

"Fairly well." Ranma answered, "I saved his daughter from becoming some noble's rape-toy and he has been grateful ever since.

"You seem to do that a lot," Nabiki said

"What?"

"Save people from being abused by noble families," she answered.

"What can I say, I'm the best" he replied with more than a hint of arrogance.

"That's not what I meant hero," she said. "I was referring to you coming to the rescue of Girls."

"Oh right," he said.

"Care to explain how my fiancé keeps ending up with strange women in his arms," Nabiki teased.

"Er, natural attraction," he said, sounding unsure.

"Seriously, do you go looking for them or what," Nabiki asked with a corresponding tone.

"Its not really that complicated," he answered just as seriously, "While I was on the force these things were going on all the time. The thing was nobody wanted the heat that comes from crossing Noble families."

"But you did?" she asked.

"No, not really, but the difference there was I didn't let that stop me doing my duty."

"Sure," she said ironically, "that's not the impression I got from a certain city-wide broadcast."

"Okay" he admitted "Maybe I do enjoy mucking up their fun too, but that wasn't the main reson."

"No," Nabiki said "The main reason was the girls."

"Huh?" he asked.

"Its no use trying to hide it Ranma" she said with real care in her voice "you've got a long streak of real nobility in you." He just sat there stunned, it was quite possibly the nicest thing anyone had said since he last saw his mother.

"wow" he said quietly

"What?" she asked

"My mother," he replied, "I haven't thought about here in a long time."

"So now I remind you of your mother?" Nabiki said archly

"The last time I saw her she wasn't much older than the two of us," Ranma said.

"Oh" Nabiki said humour deflated, "I'm sorry, what happened?"

"My Pops happened," Ranma said quietly, "He wasn't allowed to marry and certainly not a girl that young. So to protect himself and presumably me, he put me into an Academy full time. I didn't get home leave and when he was arrested they buried my origins deeper than a daimyo's decency."

"I'm so sorry Ranma," she said, "Maybe we can find her when this is over" as she talked she squeezed his hand.

"I'd like that," he said, squeezing back.

They sat the rest of the way in companionable silence and when they got up to disembark they had to let go of each other's hand to do it. Blushing slightly Ranma led the way to the lifts and they were quickly ascending towards the right level. Nabiki thought for a moment and then slipped her hand back into his. He started, looked down at the hand with surprise and then blushed bright red again, but he didn't let go. Inside Nabiki suppressed a laugh and outside she beamed a huge smile.

* * *

When they finally reached the professor's office he wasn't in, but a notice on his door directed them to the right lecture room. Inside he stood before three holographic cameras a bank of screens and less than a dozen live students. Ranma and Nabiki took seats at the back as he was finishing up his lecture on the way their world came to be.

"During the last phases of the War the allied nations, rather than accept eventual defeat, unleashed the most destructive weapons in their arsenals. No longer content with leaving the War to the vast numbers of Genetic soldiers they aimed their weapons at civilian populations as well. In less than a week the world as they knew it had ceased to exist. Massive 'fusion buster' bombs were exchanged, vast areas of the world made uninhabitable to this day. The oceans were poisoned cities wiped from existence. A winter started that lasted nearly a decade. During that winter nearly all of the Earth's indigenous species died, and mankind nearly followed. But simultaneously across the planet people developed ways of coping, and bit by bit our world is being reclaimed.

We of the academic community can honestly say that the Second Dark Age of man is nearly over and soon we may again aspire to some of those lofty goals our forebears strived for, world peace, an end to hunger and an end to poverty."

The room cleared quickly and the screens and cameras dimmed as their feed was cut. Soon only the professor, Nabiki and Ranma remained.

"Dangerous stuff," Ranma said. "You were meant to be keeping a low profile." The professor looked up, and his face broke into a big smile.

"Ranma my boy, you ARE looking well," he said moving over to them. "And who is this beauty beside you, whoever she is she is way out of your league."

"Thank you professor" Nabiki said offering her hand, which he kissed.

"The last time I saw this boy half his face was wrapped in bandages." The professor explained.

"Not really half" Ranma protested.

"Don't be modest boy, I know full well why they did that and all I can say is that Every day I am grateful for everything you did for me."

"It was nothing" Ranma objected, uneasy at this obvious praise.

"Nothing he says," the professor objected looking at Nabiki, "First he saves my seven year-old daughter from one of the nastiest beasts ever to take human form, then he locks the man away in prison, knowing full well what they will do to him."

"His face," Nabiki guessed

"You got it in one, Ranma she's far too bright for you," he said admonishingly. "Some of his fellow officers poured acid over his face while he slept. Of course they underestimated him and they were broken before they could finish the job, but he never complained to me about it. HE wasn't even going to tell me why until my Plum got him to talk."

"Plum's your daughter," Nabiki surmised.

"Yep," the professor replied "the poor sap can break war-gened soldiers in half but bat a pair of female eyelashes at him and he goes to pieces."

"Does he now?" she said arching an eyebrow. "Shall we see?" she said turning to Ranma.

"Guys, please?" he implored. The other two just laughed. "What is it, pick on Ranma week."

"Nah, its gonna last all year," the professor laughed. "But seriously, what brings you here, its got to be a girl right?"

"See?" Nabiki said to Ranma "He knows it too!"

"Please," he said in a low voice.

"Fine." Nabiki said suppressing the smile. "Professor we are trying to find out about a group that kidnapped my sister."

"And Ranma agreed to help you, typical. Tell me what you know." He said. So they did and the professor nodded along. "Well I am glad to say that I can help." The man said with a smug grin.

"You can that's great!" said Ranma enthusiastically. Nabiki nodded along

"The group you want is" he started, " a secret!" he finished. The other two sat in stunned silence.

"That's it?" Nabiki asked half disbelieving and half peeved.

"You're joking right?" Ranma said.

"Would I?" the professor replied.

"All the damn time!" Ranma complained.

"Fine!" the man replied, "I won't tell you who they are."

"What?" Ranma said exasperated.

"Please sensei," said the more practical Nabiki.

"Ah the magic word. Fine the group you are looking for call themselves 'The Soldiers of the Phoenix.' It is a sad story from long ago about a bird that couldn't die. It all-

"I'm sorry professor but we are in a hurry. Do you know where we might find them?" Nabiki asked.

"Sorry child. Ranma arrested the last one I knew about." The man told her. "They are the same people that took Plum." He explained.

"But they didn't wear masks" Ranma objected.

"Ah but they didn't need to then," the professor answered, "It was still legal to be one then."

"So we can go look up the one who you arrested" Nabiki said her face glowing, "He'll know where they put her!"

"Sorry no we can't" Ranma interjected. "The trial let him out and he had an 'accident' on the way out of the station."

"An accident?" she asked

"Fell down the stairs. Twice" Ranma explained, apologetically. Nabiki just groaned.

"So what now?" she asked.

"Happosai," He said. "Thanks professor say hello to plum for me."

"I better not she is still getting over her crush," The professor said with false sorrow. Nabiki just laughed at Ranma's renewed blush.

"Bastards" he whispered. And they were on their way back to Nerima.

* * *

Only they didn't make it. As they left the room there were a group of neo-hakama wearing men there. Each one wore the mon of the 'Society for Ethical Conduct,' they were the noble council's university thought police, and they were not looking happy.

"Prof you better let me handle this." Ranma said. The university turned a blind eye to a certain amount of inter-club rivalry, even when it involved clubs. And this occasion seemed like it was going to become one they were going to have to ignore. The leader of the group drew a sheathed sword from his belt.

"You have failed to show the proper respect for the city-fathers and your betters. It behoves us as loyal citizens to correct your mis-apprehensions." And with that the others drew their still sheathed weapons.

"Nabiki, stay back, you can have anyone who gets past me," Ranma said, and because he had his back to her he completely missed her complete confusion at the statement.

As the SEC members stalked forwards Ranma dropped a familiar baton our of his sleeve and leapt in to their midst.

Nabiki occasionally caught sight of Baton swinging and she certainly heard it impact. She also heard the wails, grunts and zaps as the charged baton connected with soft flesh. She also heard the impacts as the wannabe thugs were thrown forcefully into walls. In the end only one remained, he stood at the back with his Katana unsheathed, trembling slightly.

Ranma wiped a blood splatter from his face with his sleeve and pointed his baton at the last man. "Drop it now and you may be able to hold one again." Ranma said in a dangerous voice that even scared Nabiki. The man looked like he was going to obey but instead launched himself at Ranma in a classic Kendo two-handed overhead strike. Ranma swayed to the side, struck the man in his knee with the baton, breaking it noisily and then brought the baton up across the underside of the man's falling arms. His shriek did little to muffle the loud double crack. The man collapsed twitching onto the floor tears of pain falling from his eyes as his mouth worked soundlessly.

"Ready to go Nabs?" he asked as if they were discussing a walk in a park.

"Sure," she answered quietly.

"Ja ne Prof," Ranma said and led Nabiki back to the elevators, without sparing the fallen men another glance.


	7. Head Hentai

**Chapter 7: The head Hentai.**

"I'm still not sure abou this" Ranma said for the hundredth time. He and Nabiki were standing on the Neriman Law Plaza, looking up at the big sector house. What he was complaining about was the fact Nabiki had changed clothes. She now wore a set of figure hugging black shorts with lace up sides, a trans parent green shirt that was open anyway and a cherry red bra. It took an amazing amount of confidence to pull the outfit off and one hell of a body to go with it. Ranma had vacillated between staring and averting her eyes, especially when they ran for the train. Nabiki had assured him that she knew what she was doing and knew exactly how to handle perverts. She wasn't sure Ranma had heard her though, they had been being hit with some turbulence in the train that had jiggled things a bit.

"Relax," she told him again "I'll be fine, I handle his kind all the time." That was the other thing he didn't like, he wasn't going with her. This was his father's old section house and he had even served here for a while. Neither of them wanted the extra heat that him being recognised by his former colleagues would bring, so he had to wait outside.

So that's how he found himself sitting in a plaza café while he let Nabiki confront a man Cologne had called perverted. To say he wasn't happy about it was an understatement. Which in turn is the reason he didn't spot the lawwoman approaching. He sure noticed her when she sat down though.

"Ranchan it is you!" the Lawwoman said. She was dressed in the regulation white and red armour of the Tokyo Law keepers, her helmet tucked under her arm. Her pretty brown hair was wrapped up his and pinned with chopsticks. The armour did little for her figure, and Ranma knew she had a figure all right.

"Ucchan" he said quietly. "What are you doing here?"

"I work here" she said emphasising the 'I', "more to the point what are you doing here. You know they would love to find any excuse to bust you and I bet you are carrying half a dozen illegal items!"

"Its complicated Ucchan," he said.

"So tell me, maybe I can help." She said settling in and waving the waitress over.

"Well there's this friend see," Ranma began "and her sister is in trouble"

"Her? Her sister?" Ucchan asked. "Ranchan you aren't getting into trouble with silly girls again are you!" she seemed quite angry.

"No Ucchan," he insisted, "well maybe but not the way you are thinking."

"Good" she said, and Ranma being Ranma missed the subtext. Then she put both her arms up to get the chopsticks out of her hair, purely incidentally thrusting her half unbuttoned chest towards Ranma. She retied her hair into a ponytail with a ribbon and smiled at him before motioning him to continue and starting to eat.

"Well the guys that stole her sister were definitely noble affiliated," he started.

"Ranma, when will you learn, just stay clear of them," she lamented.

"Like you did with Konatsu?" he asked.

"That's different, what they were doing to him was just plain wrong!" she argued.

"And what they are going to do to Akane won't be?" he replied

"Ranma I'm serious one day you are going to really push your luck and then…."she said putting her hand on his.

"Yeah I know Ucchan" he said quietly, "but I can't help it. She's an innocent and she needs help, how could I refuse?"

"I know Ranma" she said warmly "And you simply wouldn't be the man I care for if you didn't go rushing around on your white horse."

"Thanks buddy, I care about you too," he said happily, once more missing the point somewhat. Ucchan could have groaned out loud, the man was just so thick! Just inb case she started writing her phone number down.

It was then that Nabiki made her re-appearance. She was suddenly standing by their table looking quite peeved. She also had her shirt done up and her arms across her chest, her unrestrained chest.

Ranma leapt to his feet, undoing his shirt. "Nabs are you okay, did he hurt you?" he said. She gratefully took his shirt, and managed to only flash him once as she put it on.

"Only my pride," she said while mentally adding her poor pinched behind, and tweaked nipples. "He was every bit as bad as she predicted!"

"Do you want me to.." he said

"No, but thanks for offering." She said, stroking his face. "Oh hello there…"

"Officer Kuonji" Ucchan introduced herself, eyes narrowed and voice distinctly unfriendly.

"Higurasi Nabiki," Nabiki lied, "So how do you know my friend here?"

"RanChan and I served on the force together, we were friends as far back as I can remember," Ucchan said, again there were glaciers in her voice. Nabiki was too flustered to notice.

"Well 'Ranchan'" Nabiki said, "we had better go." Then she started moving off. Ucchan quickly stopped him, took a look around and kissed him full on the lips. When it ended she breathily said

"Call me!" and pushed the hastily scrawled number into his hand. And then the duo were off.

-

* * *

-

"What was that about?" Nabiki asked still peeved as they rode the maglev away from the sector house.

"Beats me" Ranma replied, "She certainly didn't used to do that sort of thing. I wonder what's got into her?"

"I think you know what she wants in her!" Nabiki said spitefully.

"What's that?" asked Ranma the ever-clueless.

"You really don't know, do you?" Nabiki said somewhat incredulously. "She was all but throwing herself at you and you didn't notice. You really are a piece of work Saotome."

"She was?" Ranma asked "I wonder why. Maybe I should go back and ask her if she's alright"

"No Ranma, you shouldn't" Nabiki said pointedly. "You and I are going to find a nice place to plan our next move. And on the way there we are going to buy me a new bra!"

"Okay," he said, defensively. "I know just the place."

-

* * *

- 

A little while later they had arrived at a quaint little lodging Hab near the University.

"Hinata Sou?" Nabiki asked.

"Trust me" he said "The people here are a little weird but nobody will look for us here and they won't talk." Ten minutes later Nabiki was sat in the room they had borrowed muttering to herself.

"A little weird he says. Trust me he says. Just the place he says. Last time I believe a word that comes out of his mouth, takes me to a house full of maniacs"

"Look Nabiki I said I'm sorry," Ranma said again "I couldn't know that they would react that way. They didn't used to be this crazy, honest"

"Lets just ignore that for the moment," she said, "we'll assign blame later. Right now however my sister needs our help."

"So what did Happosai tell you?" Ranma asked.

"Other than it was mean of me to restrain myself with that 'silky darling' or other than the fact that it was cruel of me to deny an old man his pleasures?" she grumbled.

"What?" Ranma said, not really understanding.

"Never mind hero,." She told him and patted him on the side of the face. "He didn't know where the Phoenix lot live."

"But?" Ranma asked.

"He does know someone who does." She explained.  
"Who?" Ranma asked looking every bit like a kid being told a story. Nabiki couldn't help but smile, she reached out and stroked a bit of his hair back into place. And then had to suppress a giggle when he looked so confused over the gesture.

"What? Do I have something in my hair?" he said finger combing it.

"No, never mind Hero." He said, putting his hands back on the table. "There is a guy called Kuno Tatewaki. He, besides being a member of one of the richest families not in the council, is also proclaiming himself to be 'the Flame of the Phoenix.' Not that significant in itself perhaps but significantly nobody has slapped him down for it."

"So at the very least if we watch him we'll see that happen. And maybe see more still." Ranma said happily. "we are getting closer!"

"Yes we are" Nabiki said with a happy smile.

"Well no time like the present," Ranma said, "you go check out some OP's and I'll scrounge some gear.

" OP's ?" Nabiki asked.

"Observation points," he explained, "we are going on a stake out."

-

* * *

-

The stake-out proved to be really boring. The two of them were crammed into a utility room several levels below the Kuno estate that dominated the top of one of Nerima's biggest towers. Scavenged screens surrounded them all showing various views of the estate and its approaches. Ranma proved to be a very average cook and hardly scintillating company, focussed as he was on recording the comings and goings.

It had taken the rest of the day to plant all the cameras and a considerable amount of palm grease.

It was now moving towards the middle of the night, and Nabiki was struggling to remain awake, the warmth of the room combining with the lateness of the hour to make her eyelids heavier and heavier.

The next thing that she knew she was being carried to the makeshift bed that Ranma had made and gently tucked in. She faked being asleep, enjoying the sensation of being cared for. She had to suppress a laugh when the poor guy struggled to get up the courage to loosen her clothes for hr comfort and again when he whispered that he was "Glad that was over." However her biggest surprise was when he leant over and kissed her on the forehead, whispering "Sleep well beautiful." And she did.

-

* * *

- 

She was awakened some indeterminate time later. Ranma was shaking her. She really didn't feel like waking up. "You better have coffee!" she swore.

"Uh no but I got some real good news" he replied.

"What?" she demanded.

"He's seen your sister." Ranma said, Nabiki was instantly awake

"How, where, is she here."

"Calm down," Ranma said holding her arms. "You look at the screen I'll make coffee."

"Strong, black, sweet" she said. And slowly she moved to the seat by the screens. Ranma hit a command and some images flashed up. There was the target, Tatewaki Kuno in a room, stripped to the waist and in front of him was a larger than life 2D picture of Akane, dressed in a Formal Kimono that they did not own.

"I recognised her from the picture in your wallet." Ranma told her, placing a mug of coffee next to her.

"And why were you looking in my wallet?"

"It was when you did the passing out thing back at the Nekohanten." Ranma answered. "We were trying to find out why a rich –girl like you would come down to Midnight walk."

"Okay. Apology accepted," she said. "Tell me more about the picture."

"It showed up about ten minutes ago, more than that I can't tell you the door we were seeing through was closed." Ranma answered. "Which brings me to my point, how long will it take you to get ready."

"To do what?" she asked still fuzzy from sleep.

"Break in and ask the man a few questions" Ranma said, packing things up.

"Oh is that all?" she replied, "we are just going to break into a noble estate and assault a scion of the house until he divulges some secret information?"

"If you want to be dramatic about it, sure" Ranma replied.

"I don't mean to burst your bubble but I really don't have that much experience housebreaking," Nabiki said.

"You did pretty well down on the walk" Ranma argued.

"I nearly died," she retorted.

"Nearly doesn't count" he replied, taking off his shirt. Nabiki took the time to admire his well toned body, and turned a blind eye to the history of pain that the criss-crossing scars told. He redressed in a black top, with a high collar. Then he strapped a pistol under his arm and a sword to his back. His baton hung from a clip on his belt. "Besides all I want you to do is get settled in that chair and be my eyes and ears. Once I am in I'll try and patch you through to the internal security." He handed her a phone, "Your thieves tools Tendo-san." She smiled and took the phone. "I'm going to be relying on you. House breaking takes a long time to do quietly and I'm gonna need you at these screens, not anywhere else."

"I got it, just let me use the little girl's room and then I'll glue myself to the seat." Nabiki told him.

"One more thing, if this goes wobbly, then bolt. Cologne will help you try again." Ranma said deadly serious. "You will not help me or your sister by doing anything stupid. Okay"

"Okay boss."

"See ya soon." And then he was gone.


	8. House of Swords

**Chapter 8: House of swords.**

Ranma took as little time as possible getting to theright area, he rode the lift up to the level below and then climbed out a convenient window. The wind was howling by and the night air was anything but warm. Then just to make things worse the heavens opened and Rain came lashing down.

"Damn! Damn! Damn! This was such a stupid plan, yea stoopid plan, stoopid kuno stupid akane stupid rain stupid climbing stupid rain stupid bloody nobles stupid damn rain-

"Is that your idea of stealthy?" came Nabiki's voice directly into his ear. "Because it sucks"

"Stupid bossy-"

"Don't go there!" she warned, he just growled unintelligibly. "Just what are you climbing out there?"

"Don't ask and maybe I won't remember its impossible even without the damn rain!" he grumbled back. He was indeed ascending an impossible surface, using finger holds that were too small for much more than his fingerprint, and he was doing it fairly fast.

"Shit!" she said, spotting him on a camera "tell me you've got a safety line."

"Seem to have forgotten my damn rope" he said. "Now hush, concentrating." There followed one of the scariest fifteen minutes of her life, but then he was over and into the walled garden. She let out a breath she didn't even know she was holding.

"Don't ever do that again you shit!" she said relief shining through her every word.

"Deal," he muttered, "next time I suggest it just shoot me." There was a moment of silence.

"Shit, I don't believe it!" he whispered under his breath.

"What"

"They got landmines!"

"Landmines?"

"and a flaming crocodile!"

"a WHAT?"

"Crocodile!" he swore back. "Hey are they like day-turnal?"

"I don't know, but I think they are cold blooded. Why?"

"cuz there won't be any landmines in its compound," Ranma explained

"Just a crocodile."

"Yup" he said "just a sleeping crocodile." There was a pause. "it wasn't sleeping!" he said simply

"You are nuts" she said having just found him dangling by his feet over the pit, complete with open mouthed crocodile. "Get out we'll find another way"

"Nah, its only just getting interesting" he replied. And then he let go, used the crocodile as a springboard and bounced high onto the compound's roof.

"Ranma," Nabiki said, heart racing "I hate you"

"Hey what can I say, I'm the best" he spouted. "Now switch off I'm going in through this skylight. I'll call you when its safe." And he was gone. And all she could do was wait.

"Ranma I hate you" she said to the empty air.

-

Ranma was having his own troubles, he had dropped into a woman's bedroom. A very disturbed woman. The walls had pictures of black hate and turmoil, the rose and thorn motif lampshade was similarly covered and everything else in the room was painted in various shades of the colour. In the dim light he could make out a form lying on its side in the black silk-sheeted bed. On the floor near it were a selection of very personal looking undergarments, black and lacy of course, and a dress that looked like it cost more money than he had ever seen. He dragged his embarrassed mind back to the problem and crept towards the door. Only to find it locked.

"Double Shit" he mouthed

He crept over to the girl's bedside table, figuring that the key had to be there, only to spot it instead hanging around the delicate neck of the girl.

"Treble shit"

He crept to the side of her bed, ignoring the metal cuffs that adorned the headboard, and knelt down. "Please don't wake up. I'm sure you are really very nice and a warm human being but please don't wake up. Now just let me steal this little key from around your ever so lovely neck" he whispered, not even realising that he was speaking his prayer.

He gently lifted the chain, and she rolled onto her back proper. "Please don't wake up beautiful," he whispered, I ain't gonna hurt ya just want ta ask the house pervert where he got some pictures." Then he noticed that the move had lowered the sheet and that this woman slept nude and she must be cold under only the sheet, and she wasn't shivering. He swallowed the lump in his throat, fought the blush and pulled the sheet back up. Finally he had the key and with silent relief he crept towards the door.

"That key opens a very different lock," came a sultry voice from behind him. He froze. "And thank you for the compliments"

"I said that out loud didn't I." He whispered.

"Yes you did" she purred and he heard the bed shift.

"You weren't asleep" he accused

"No. Fortunately for us I don't sleep well alone" her voice said going straight from sultry to sexy. Then her arms were wrapping around him and he was stiffening.

"I'm not going to convince you this is all some vivid dream am I?" he asked hopefully. When she shook her head her hair brushed his neck and her body rubbed against his back. "And I have this feeling that you are not going to just let me walk out of here?" she shook her head again, with all that entailed.

"so is there any way I am going to walk out of here…intact?" he asked in a small voice.

"only one" she breathed into his ear, digging her nails into his chest.

-

* * *

-

"Nabs, you still there" Ranma's voice said over the phone.

"Ranma?" she said disbelievingly

"Yes, sorry I took so long" he said.

"Damn you Saotome!" she swore at him, wiping the tears from her eyes. "I thought you were dead! Bastard! Shit head!" she sobbed.

"I am really sorry" Ranma said, "I got tied up"

"I really hate you Saotome!" she replied, shaking with emotion.

"I got the access codes, and a clear route to his room."

"How."

"You don't want to know!" he replied sincerely. "Uploading now"

"Give me a moment," she quickly programmed the screens to split and extended the pattern recognition software across the whole lot. She knew she was good at this and a smug smile broke through her tears. "Done, all yours hero."

A little while later he stood before the door to Kuno Tatewaki's bedroom. Gently he slid the shoji aside and crept inside in a rush. This Kuno however was sleeping soundly. He clamped his hand around the man's throat and threw a palm strike into his solar plexus. Kuno woke up gasping for air he couldn't get, with a black garbed figure throttling him. Those few moments of panic scarred him for the rest of his life.

"Kuno Tatewaki the next few moments will decide the course of the rest of your life. You tell me what I want to know and maybe just maybe you'll come out of this a better man. You hold out on me just one little bit and I swear you Will regret it for the rest of your life." Ranma told him in a voice straight from the crypt.

Kuno only nodded, all reason fled.

"The girl on your wall, Tendo Akane, where can I find her?" Ranma demanded in the same grave-deep tone, pointing at the naked picture of the Tendo girl.

"f-f-f-f-phoenix club" Kuno stammered

"Where!" Ranma insisted, leaning his hand in just a little harder.

"uhhh" Kuno mouthed desperately trying for air. Ranma let him breathe, just. "Sau Phron" Kuno said tears running down his face

"If you have lied to me….."

"never" swore Kuno.

"Sleep!" Ranma commanded, cutting off just enough blood to make the man black out.

-

* * *

- 

Ranma was sitting with Nabiki in a squatters hab not three blocks form the Kuno manse, sipping sake. She was looking at him and he was hiding his face by looking at the floor.

"What-ever it was you can tell me," she said, "I doubt there is anything you could do that I haven't thought of doing myself"

"Don't bet on it" Ranma said, being careful not to let his still healing back come into contact with the chair. "please lets drop it, its done and no good can come from going back over it."

"Ranma," she said "If that's the way you want it, then fine but I want oyu to know that I'm here."

"Psych ain't really my bag," Ranma said "Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the thought but I have been dealing alone for long enough, I just don't do touchy feely."

"If you say so," she replied.

"I'm real tired," he said, " you mind if I crash out?"

"Not if you don't mind me joining you," Nabiki said emphatically, before she realised the implications. "Er I meant in a different bed, you know"

"Nabs" he said taking hold of her hands and turning her to face him. "You have swept through my world like a hurricane. I know that I ain't good at dealin' with you but I hope you know that I-"

He was cut off by her kiss. It was long, deep and searching. It took him a moment but he let go and soon the two of them were locked in a kiss that could move mountains. From there the only way was down, and soon their clothes lay strewn around the room and they were entangled on the bed.

-

* * *

Afterwards Nabiki was lying on his chest, idly playing with a nail across it.

"So you gonna tell me where the other marks came from?" she asked. He just gulped.


	9. Pheonix Roost

**Chapter Nine. The day after.**

Nabiki woke up first, unusually for her. She took a little while to workout the where's and what's that seemed to apply before getting out of bed and putting a robe on. She sat down on a chair and suddenly wished she smoked. Instead she switched the coffee machine on and sat back with a large mug. Ranma had moved, spread out across the now empty bed. She knew that she wasn't being fair to him but she couldn't help it. The last few days had been a rollercoaster for her and her emotions and last night had just been more of the same. She had been feeling fragile and needy, as well as a little giddy from the amazing successes that they had had. He had been there and available so she had partaken. Which left her a problem. She liked him he was loyal and decent but at the same time he scared her. The world he lived in was darker even than hers and he had a casual disregard for some things she had always believed sacred.

The truth was in the cold light of day she just couldn't see it working. She wasn't looking for a relationship and Ranma was an all or nothing sort of person. The chase had been fun but now real emotions were going to get involved and that was way too risky for either of them.

He stirred, slowly blinking awake, inadvertently reminding Nabiki how this trouble had started, the man was just so effortlessly attractive. "Afternoon sleepyhead." She said.

"Morning Shampoo" he mumbled, obviously not a morning person either.

"Shampoo too too happy" Nabiki mimicked, "Big manly Ranma make whoopee all night long"

"What?" shouted Ranma, leaping upright and bringing the world into focus. The patches of shadow and light across his frankly fantastic body making Nabiki temporarily rethink her decision.

"Coffee's made," she said, "but you want anything else and we'll have to go out for it."

"Nah coffee's the breakfast of kings" he mumbled, pulling on some trousers. She handed him a cup and he moved over to sit by the window. He looked slightly lost in thought.

"Ranma, we need to talk about last night," she started. He turned to look at her with those fantastic blue eyes of his, emotion and vulnerability shining there. "Last night was a mistake. We were both tired and not thinking straight." She could see that wasn't going to do it and as he started to talk she cut him off with a raised hand. "Ranma, I was feeling needy and horny and I used you. All I can say is that I'm sorry." This time he didn't try to talk. He sat their, emotions racing behind those expressive eyes.

"I'll go buy some breakfast." He said, pushing his feet into his boots and grabbing a shirt before walking out. Nabiki felt like she had just kicked a puppy.

"Damn you Saotome!" she whispered vehemently "Damn you for making me feel bad about this."

He came back nearly an hour later, by which time she had washed, dressed and started to wonder if he was coming back. She looked at him as he came in but he was giving no sign of what was going on inside even those normally expressive eyes had closed off and all that remained was steel. He moved across the room, putting down a bag and starting to pack his amazing daypack.

"Got some miso and snacks for later," he said, "called Obaba too, she's handling things but that shit Moose is back." He seemed unwilling to let the room fall silent. "Obaba says we'll probably need some help to crack Sau Fron and suggests we pull in some extras."

"Ranma" Nabiki said softly.

"I think Ucchan might help and she knows this guy called Konatsu who-"

"Ranma," Nabiki repeated more forcefully, and he finally stopped, but he stopped dead still, not looking at her.

"Ranma," she said with warmth in her voice "Look at me." He did and she caught a flicker of real hurt there. "I really didn't want to hurt you," she said.

"It ain't hurt unless it's broken" he replied, as if repeating a well worn phrase. "Nabiki" he continued, "You made your decision, now we've got a job to do" he finished, looking back to his pack.

"We need to make this right," she insisted. He sighed and looked back to her

"No Nabiki, we don't" he said hiding a pain "What we need to do is rescue your sister before they do anything too permanent to her." Nabiki moved over to him and took hold of his arm.

"Ranma please?" she asked. He stood still for a moment then swung the pack up onto his back.

"We'll eat on the train," he said and then he opened the door. And that was that.

-

* * *

-

They ate the breakfast on the train, headed for the richest area of Tokyo-cit. Here the skyrise blocks gaveway to beautiful structures of silver and glass. Sprawling roads became neat and infrequent. The pedways that elsewhere spread like a drunken spider web here were flying gossamer buttresses. Statues and parks replaced shopping plazas and unused fountains. The vehicles that worked their way between these towers were smart sleek and metallic, more often flying than not. In other words Nabiki and Ranma were going to stick out like a sore thumb.

In the fifteen minutes that they took to scope out the area they were stopped five times by various security guards and or lawmen. They were now sat in a discreet workers café well off the main thoroughfares. "Damn this place is rich" Nabiki said

"Yeah and we know who they've squeezed the money out of" Ranma muttered, his mood having improved little.

"Where do you reckon she is?" she asked.

"From the pictures Kuno had and the pieces of information I got out the henati shit I'm guessing that she's up the top."

"Sau Fron's mountain" Nabiki said with a whistle. Ranma nodded.

"It'll be tough but hey I'm the best." Ranma added with confidence. "We'll need to build a control room and a couple of shunting stations." He was scribbling on a napkin. "I'll need at least two other breachers and maybe three more controllers."

"I can do that," Nabiki said

"If we get nicked…"

"I know but she's family and if you are going in their anyway…" Nabiki said.

"The problem is that we are also going to need money, and that ain't exactly something I got a lot of." Ranma said.

"Not a problem," Nabiki said, "I may have accidentally liberated some funds while I was in The Kuno security files."

"Accidentally?"

"I sort of accidentally cancelled a contract or two and diverted the repayments to a soft account where it traced around a bit and ended up as a cash transfer to a blind."

"You stole money and then l;aundered it?" said Ranma slightly disbelieving.

"And this is worse than breaking into a person's house and threatening their lives how?" Nabiki asked.

"I wasn't criticising" he lied, "I was just…."

"Criticising." She finished.

"Okay maybe I was," he admitted "But I can't help it. It just seems wrong to me. You know dishonest somehow."

"It is dishonest Ranma," Nabiki said quietly, "but not all of us can afford your principles."

"I'm sorry, I'm really not one to make an issue of it." Ranma apologised, "Old habits?"

"Its okay Ranma, I'm glad one of us still has some principles left," Nabiki replied with a touch of self-loathing.

"You are better than you realise" Ranma said before leaving the table to pay for the meal.

-

* * *

- 

Four hours later the team was gathered, everyone bar Ukyo was assembled in the back room of a friendly pub. Soun was there, complete with bandaged face, so was Kasumi and Tofu, standing behind the Tendo Patriarch and looking determined. Konatsu was sat in a corner, ever wary of too much scrutiny, and topping the group off were Nabiki, Shampoo and Ranma. Shampoo was, of course, playing with her new friend Nabiki's hair and Ranma was drawing diagrams on a piece of memory plastic.

"Guys, if I can have your attention," Ranma called and everyone leaned in. "This is the Sau Estate' key building. The Hovtruck will be here," Ranma pointed at a area slightly off the map. "You have access to the big cross-town zoom and a fast chute to city bottom if that seems to hot." He looked the people who would be in the control bay in the face one by one. "You will all be assigned a section, Nabiki will run you through what to look for and how to alert us. When we are inside you will be our eyes and ears, without you we will get caught and Akane will be lost." The group nodded firmly. "Saying that, those of us going in have all done this sort of thing before and we know what we are doing. There is a chance you will have to run. If you do, don't look back and don't try to help. By the time you get close enough to do anything it will all be over, for good or ill." He motioned Nabiki up, "I'll talk to those that are going in with me, Nabiki will fill you in with the fine print.

The planning session lasted another hour, Ranma and the two 'breakers' going over various options of what might happen inside and their replies to them, while Nabiki went through every nuance of the watchers art she could think of.

Then they were off, two vehicles speeding along the road to the 'mountain.' In one, a hover-truck the cab was being driven by Tofu while the rear was full of screens and seats. The two Tendo sisters and their father already testing their equipment, and going over codewords with each other. The other vehicle was driven by Ranma himself and was a smarter rented hover-car, acquired by Nabiki by less than legal means. On the back seat next to Shampoo sat three kit bags, full of the tools of the housebreaker's trade and some more violent options. The three of them planned to ascend the normal lift dressed in fake police uniforms, and fake their way as far as they could before going 'tactical' and rescuing the girl. Then all four of them would escape hopefully by the same lift or if not they had a plan B.

"I still think the batwings suck" grumbled Ranma, "and pink ones really aren't going to help."

"Pink is pretty colour," argued Shampoo.

"They really don't have to work for long Saotome-san," Konatsu added. "Once we are clear of the immediate pursuit it will be easy enough to acquire another form of conveyance."

"Unless we paint our pink clad butts all-over the pedway,"

"Indeed Saotome-san" Konatsu agreed politely, "I suggest you try to avoid that."

"Shampoo think that good idea too" nodded the bubbly china-girl. Ranma continued to grumble.

-

* * *

- 

The first part of their plan went off without a hitch. The rented guards hardly even glanced at their fake badges and they were quickly led deep into the complex. Nabiki managed to hack the security codes far faster than anyone had expected and Kasumi soon found Akane in her sector. Ranma and Shampoo headed off to the right area, leaving Konatsu to distract their guide. Ranma had just allowed himself a small congratulatory smile when things went to hell.

He and shampoo stepped through a door, into what should have been a small corridor, only to find themselves in a large open room. A large open room full of people in bird masks, who seemed to be waiting for them.

"shit!" Ranma swore

"This too too not good" Shampoo agreed.

"Control, we've been rumbled" Ranma, only static came as a reply. Ranma took quick stock of the occasion, most of the bird-men only had clubs or batons, there were very few guns.

"My name is Captain Kiima" said one stepping forwards, "If you surrender now perhaps we will be lenient."

"Shampoo, get out of here!" Ranma whispered, drawing his baton.

"Not want leave Ranma!" the girl insisted, pulling her own.

"No arguments, go!" he said. Shampoo quickly kissed his face and then turned and ran. "Okay piss-ants lets see what you got!" Ranma taunted stepping forwards to receive their charge."


	10. The wakening beast

** Chapter 10: The beast awakes.**

Ranma awoke in pain. He had not gone down easy, and they had not been gentle afterwards. It seemed every area of his body hurt, blood crusting a lot of his exposed skin. They had stripped him down to his trousers and boots and tied his hands behind his back. He was also tied to the floor, tight enough that he couldn't stand even if he wanted to.

"Ahh the fool awakes at last" came a voice. Ranma raised his bloodied face, allowing a dribble of the mess in his mouth to leak out through puffy lips. The room he was in was suddenly lit by a bright white light and the heavy steel door opened. A beautiful white haired woman came in. She was dressed in neo-traditional soldier's garb, cut from expensive silk and banded with gold. Her hands were concealed in delicate white gloves and her feet in soft white boots. She had an impressive looking sword belted at her waist. That he recognised.

"Kiima" he grunted through the pain.

"Very impressive prole." The woman said pulling her gloves off. "Do you also know how much you have annoyed me? No of course not how could you?" She squatted down bringing her face to a level just higher than his. Then she grabbed him by the back of his hair and twisted his face to look at her. "You made me look bad!" she admonished "Nobody makes me look bad"

"Tough shit" he said through his abused face. She smiled and belted him full across his cheek, knocking him to the floor. "Bad enough that you maim of injure so many of my troops, but you also manage to hold us up long enough for your stupid sex toy to throw herself out of a window." Ranma ducked his head to hide a smile. "Silly thing, choosing death over service. I am sure that someone would have been willing to master her." Kiima was leering. "Never mind the others will no doubt prove entertaining, after they have been properly, trained, of course" This time Ranma failed to hide his emotion. "Oh you didn't know" she laughed, "how amusing. You honestly thought that we wouldn't find out about your little plot? How very….ordinary of you." Then the girl left, still laughing.

Inside Ranma a deep pit was forming, he had failed, worse he had led the others into a trap. Now these bastards had the whole Tendo family, and Tofu and Konatsu. What-ever they did to Ranma they would do worse to the Tendo girls, twisting their innocent natures for their own ends. Even lovely Kasumi, soon to be a noble's pliant plaything, programmed to need her master's attention. And Nabiki, smart independent Nabiki, doomed to a life begging some bastard to abuse her. The pit turned into a fire, and the fire into a blaze. Ranma strained against the bonds, they held. So he strained again, harder. The bindings cut into his skin, his shoulders strained. At his neck the tendons stuck out in stark relief. A vein on his forehead bulged and pulsed with the strain. From his mouth came an inhuman growl. And the cable ripped the bolt from the floor. With a surge Ranma was upright.

The door swung open and two hefty guards came in with electrified batons. They found an inhuman monster. A mess of blood and bruise Ranma looked more daemon than man. A fact that was borne out further what the man lifted both his arms over his head, dislocating them, and then pulled those same arms down in front of him. With a twist of his head and a shrug of his shoulders the man reset his abused arms and favoured them with a chilling grin.

"This is not your lucky day," the apparition growled. They had time enough to look at each other and then the pain began. Ranma used the cable to whip one man's arm, flicking him head over heels into the floor. Mean while he leapt at the other, foot lashing out from below and connecting brutally with the unfortunate guard's face. Ranma brought both fists back the other way and smashed the man into the wall making him pivot around his neck. The first guard was just trying to stand when Ranma turned and delivered a double palm strike to his back, rib and spine crunched and the man fell to the floor coughing blood.

A quick search provided Ranma with a key that released his wrists and the two batons. Then he jogged from the room, flames burning in his eyes and his heart.

-

* * *

More unfortunates tried to stop him, he broke them. One managed to get a shot off, only to see Ranma dodge it and then break a titanium baton across his face. He moved with the fluid motions of a predator and struck without pity or remorse.

Soun sat quietly in his cell with the sleeping Tofu. Both had tried to resist when the noble hover vans had stopped them. But they had quickly blind sided him and beat Tofu down. The last thing Soun ahd seen was his sweet daughter Nabiki emptying a clip from a heavy pistol into their assailants. Even if they got out of this alive he knew things would never be the same.

Gradually he became aware of a new sound, someone running into the corridor outside the cell, a rapid conversation and then a shout.

"He's here!" the cry was half warning and half terror. The next few seconds contained the sounds of heavy impacts on flesh and the noise of bones crushing. Soun could make out the heavy thuds of bodies hitting solid surfaces, walls, floors, even the ceiling.

Then the door was burst, lock snapping loudly. And Ranma stood there. His face and body covered in a mix of old and new blood and his lawman's white trousers splattered with droplets of blood. The man carried two bloodied batons and an expression that was nearly feral.

"Soun" Ranma growled "Can you walk?"

"Yes, I think so," Soun replied.

"Get him up and do it!" Ranma commanded. Soun struggled to obey, by the time he had managed to obey and get Tofu awake and moving Ranma had already started off down the corridor.

The two of them had to struggle to keep up. But never risked losing him, all they had to do was follow the trail of bodies. Tofu, leaning on Soun's shoulder, was struggling to breathe but managed to wheeze, "He's scary!"

"He'll need to be!" wheezed Soun back.

-

* * *

- 

Nabiki was scared, she wasn't shy about it, in fact they had quickly been forced to gag her to stop her screaming. Kasumi on the other hand had been more easy to deal with, she had fainted within seconds of every time she woke up.

The main reason Nabiki was scared was currently sat at a computer not two feet away from where she was restrained. He was a vile leering man with a long hooked nose, who had taken great joy in abusing her bruised body under the guise of checking for injuries. Since she had woken up that was admittedly as bad as it got. They had drawn a little blood and forced her to drink something smelly but otherwise they had been taking care of the new merchandise. And that was the root of her fear, she had shot at least two of them and been as much trouble as she could manage since but still they were being nice. The only bruises she had were caused by herself, probably when she was twitching under the electric shock of the batons that downed her.

The doctor had gone into great detail about what exactly he was going to do to her, the chemicals that would throw her into a spiralling hormonal imbalance, the micro-pulse electrical implant that would interfere with various glands, causing her personality to be rebuilt along set lines. It would mean enslavement, inescapable, permanent enslavement to any one who cared enough to tell her what to do. She had seen Shampoo and this doctor had made it clear that what he intended was far more complete.

It was simply put a nightmare coming true before her eyes.

Then Ranma arrived. He was heralded by the door shattering inwards, struck by a flying body. When she saw Ranma standing there her first thought was not good. He did not look like a knight in shining armour. The way the blood matted in his unbound hair made it stick out, the grisly colouring of his skin all of it pointed more at an angry ghost. When she caught sight of his face she froze in fright, his eyes were alight, his mouth fixed in a rictus.

The doctor reached for a syringe gun, and was turning to stand when Ranma crashed the baton in his right hand across the pervert's face. Nabiki saw the man's cheekbone collapse, his jaw snap and his blood spray across the clean white wall.

Then she was being picked up, it was her father, Soun, crying tears of relief. She could just see Tofu cradling the sleeping Kasumi over his shoulder. She turned back to Ranma. He was standing over the doctor as if debating whether he had done enough. He turned to look at her, something had changed in his eyes, the fire dimmed. She reached a hand out towards him. He dropped a baton and reached his own hand out to grip hers.

For a long moment they stared into each other's eyes, and Nabiki breathed a long sigh of relief. The fire in his eyes cleared, like a dawn rising on a stormy day. Ranma's beast was restrained again. He squeezed her hand again.

"Akane" he whispered. She suddenly remembered why they were here. Soun wailed again.

"We have to leave" he said, heart break in his voice, I have already lost too much, I cannot lose any more."

"I Will Get Akane" Ranma said and the storm clouds were gathering.

"Ranma" Nabiki said stopping him from letting go "be careful." He cracked a half smile and nodded.

-

* * *

- 

Ranma slid open the door. He was rapidly approaching the inner sanctum of the Sau estate. The room in front of him would lead him to the ornamental garden that surrounded Sau Fron's private abode. It was made up in old Japanese style, with sliding shoji doors, tatami mats and hanging banners. Ranma clenched his fists around the batons and advanced.

He reached the far door and as he reached out a familiar voice called to him from behind, "Stop prole!" it was Kiima, "No filthy peasant will be allowed to disturb my lord" Ranma turned, sliding a foot back and bending his knees.

Kiima stood there armoured for battle, sword drawn and blazing with anger. In the background the rain could be heard falling.

She leapt forward sword raised. Ranma dived right, his own weapons reaching to block and strike simultaneously. But the block never happened her sword swept clean through the metal of both batons and only a last desperate roll saved Ranma from more than a nick on his belly.

Again they faced off, eyes locked, bodies tensed like coiled springs.

Again she leapt , this time weapon held low, ready to sweep it up through his torso. Ranma leapt too, open palm, knife edged, leading the way. She swung; he slapped the blade away with the back of his hand, and drove the sharp end of the severed baton up under her ribs.

For a long moment they stood there, surprise written all over her face and grim determination on his. Then a thin trickle of blood ran down her chin, followed by more. She fell side ways, her sword falling from nerveless fingers.

For a moment he stood over her, then he reached down and took her blade, turned and walked to the door.

-

* * *

-

The garden was being lashed with rain, a full scale storm raging overhead. The trees swayed in the gusts, the rain bouncing off every surface. Ranma stood there in the doorway, lit by the flashes of lightening, hair trailing in the wind.

In front of him ranged the last of Sau Fron's bodyguard. They wore black ninja suits and carried ultra modern looking bows. Behind them was Sau Fron's home, styled in the old manner with white walls and tiled roof.

Every bow had an arrow in it, and every bow was now pointed at Ranma.

As one they loosed, modern technology speeding the arrows towards the ronin with deadly precision. Ranma took one pace forwards and leapt. He scythed the sword through the air ahead of him in a figure eight pattern and when he landed he was untouched.

The bodyguard dropped their bows and drew shining blades. Ranma assumed a stance and beckoned them on. They rushed, he ducked low and leapt up into them sword leading. The following battle was one of rolling motion, leaps and feints interspersed with deadly strikes. Singly or in pairs the ninja were dying, thrown back by the ronin's fierce skill and deadly borrowed blade.

"ENOUGH!" called a voice masked by an amplifier. The ninja stopped and backed off. As they did they revealed the master of the house. He stood arrayed in a golden suit of powered armour, complete with wings and fiery halo. The suit made him stand nearly twice the height of a normal man, and would grant him many times the strength. In front of him he held a sheathed Katana. Slowly, with a ringing noise he drew the exquisite blade.

"ITS NAME IS WRATH OF HEAVEN, AND YOU SHALL BE HONOURED TO DIE BY ITS BLADE!" Sau Fron intoned. Ranma took up a stance.

"I know not my blade's name, only that until very recently it belonged to your finest warrior, and that she has no need of it any more."

"YOU SEEK TO ANGER ME!" Sau Fron broadcast "FOOLISH PEASANT, SHE, LIKE ALL YOUR BREED, WAS DISPOSABLE" Ranma beckoned the golden man forwards.

"Bring it on golden-rod" he growled. And under the lightning smote sky the fight was joined.


	11. Stillness in the Storm

**Chapter 11. Stillness in the storm**

The opening passes were massive clashes of power and speed. Ranma's skill, strength and speed being bent to the destruction of this man who represented so much of what was wrong in his world. Even after the first few passes Ranma already knew he was in trouble. Sau Fron's power suit leant him strength and speed that more than made up for a lesser skill. Added to that his armour seemed to be capable of turning every blow that struck.

Again the pair took to the air, as they passed swords flashed, bodies contorted at amazing angles and lightning crashed. They landed once again opposite each other. Ranma dropped to one knee, flecks of blood coughed up from his chest.

"FOOLISH PEASANT!" Sau Fron jeered, "DID YOU HONESTLY BELIEVE YOU WOULD BE AMATCH FOR ME? YOUR PEASANT BLOOD MAKES YOU WEAK!"

Ranma threw himself at the mocking giant, only to be thrown aside, into and through, one of the shoji panels.

"HA HAH HAH HA HA HA!" Laughed the metal clad monster. "ONLY NOW DO YOU UNDERSTAND! YOU FACE NOT A MAN, BUT A GOD!" as he jeered Ranma picked himself up, and wiped his arm across his mouth.

"NOW LET ME DEMONSTRATE THE TRUE POWER OF MY BLOOD!" Sau Fron announced and his wings began to glow with power. Ranma crouched low, dreading some new trick.

Sau Fron Thrust forward his off hand, and threw a bolt of energy at the crouching hero. Ranma threw himself aside in time to receive little more than an added sunburn. He found himself lying in the mud with only the ringing laughter of the giant sounding over the storm.

Again and again The giant fired, again and again Ranma was forced to dodge hot plasma death. Every time he jumped in for an attack he was violently repelled. He could feel his muscles protesting, feel himself tiring and knew that it was only a matter of time

At that moment he realised something, he could not beat Sau Fron. Not like this, his anger that had served him so well would kill him against this opponent. Ranma slowly stood, facing his opponent with his face hidden by his hair. He began to pace like a caged animal, internally desperately trying to focus.

The Giant looked on somewhere between confused and amused, and overhead the storm raged on. Ranma stopped, knelt to retrieve a fallen bow and snapped it. As he stood he tied the bowstring around his hair, binding it back behind his head. The rain had washed him clean and he had found his centre.

In the space between the thunder Ranma raised his blade in a salute. One that the giant mockingly returned, but even he could detect something different a change in the air and in his opponent.

Ranma knew that the armour made Sau Fron nearly invulnerable. The weak points that existed were only comparatively so and were well guarded, the computer in the suit adding to the noble's skill. Ranma could not reach any of them without being maimed.

Sau Fron, fed up with waiting beckoned Ranma in "COME FOOL, COME TO YOUR DEATH" he taunted, falling off into mocking laughter.

Ranma took a running start and leapt high at the jeering Giant, left hand leading. In turn Sau Fron swept his left leg back and prepared to kill the martial artist. Ranma gave him the arm. Sau Fron's armour swung him to intercept, grabbing the arm and whipping the ronin away into the solid wall behind, and around them the storm vent its fury.

Only it didn't quite work that way. At the moment Sau Fron's arm whipped around Ranma threw his body into a spin. The momentum of the giant's own servo-driven throw whipped the hero's body around, snapping his left arm and dislocating it again. It also provided enough momentum for Ranma to drive his stolen blade vertically downwards into Sau Fron's neck. As the thunder and lightning crashed the blade bit straight through the flexible connectors, driving down through flesh and bone alike.

In the pain Ranma blacked out, still hanging there by his busted arm, and death-gripped Katana from the now statue like body of the house's owner.

And from the roof of that house dropped a white clad figure. Blade in hand and face masked he approached the crucified form of Saotome Ranma, and gently brought him to the ground. Konatsu pulled down his mask and checked the hero's pulse.

"That was about the bravest and stupidest thing I have ever seen," the ninja whispered, rain running off him.

"Thanks" replied Ranma, from the floor. "What can I say, I'm the best" he broke off into a fit of hacking coughs. "ow" he whispered as it passed.

Then both of them looked to the room that Ranma had entered the garden through, both could hear the approach on many feet. Konatsu pushed Ranma back down, "Allow me," he said quietly.

The door burst open and all of a sudden Tofu, Soun and Nabiki burst into the garden wielding a variety of scrounged weapons and screaming at the top of heir lungs. Konatsu and Ranma howled at them to stop, and only just managed to get their message through.

"Shit, what are you trying to do, kill me?" Ranma admonished, from his knees. Konatsu still hadn't relaxed and remained breathing hard, facing them with his sword ready.

"Ranma?" Nabiki shouted, disbelief giving way to elation. She rushed to him and threw herself into his arms. The impact nearly knocked him back onto his back. She buried her face into his neck.

"Ack" he gasped, pain from his broken arm warring with asphyxiation. She grabbed him by the pigtail, dragged his head back and kissed him full on the lips. For them the world fell away, lost in favour of the passion of the moment. Everyone else just stopped stunned, wondering just when they would come up for air.

Kasumi, who had waited behind in the anteroom, stepped into the garden, raised her hand to her mouth and pronounced her traditional understatement, "Oh My!" she said.

Overhead the clouds cleared and the sun broke through. Nabiki and Ranma finally stopped kissing, separating just enough to lock their eyes together.

"I thought you were…" she said.

"How?" he asked.

"We saw you on some monitors we were passing while we were trying to get out," she explained. "We decided to help," she finished with a smile.

"Thanks be we got it covered," he replied, waving his good arm towards Konatsu. Who in turn took a bow. Nabiki however had just noticed his arm.

"Ranma!" she exclaimed, grabbing the limb, "your arm, its.."

"I kinda noticed," he replied with a wince.

"Serves you right, worrying us like that" she said, before kissing him again.

"We'll go look for Akane" Tofu said, somewhat embarrassed. Then he looked at Konatsu and Akane and the three of them went into the house.

"Give me a hand up" Ranma said. Nabiki did and the two of them hobbled towards the building.

From above a loud engine noise suddenly appeared, someone was seriously abusing an aerodyne gearbox. Nabiki and Ranma stopped and looked up, saw the sky-bus descending and ran-hobbled for cover. The vehicle tried to pull up at the last moment, and didn't quite manage, instead ploughing into the garden soil, tearing up turf and plant alike. Nabiki pulled her pistol and Ranma rapidly stole it from her.

The mini-bus' door was kicked out and A figure jumped from the drivers seat, a figure with long lavender hair and a brilliant smile.

"Shampoo!" Nabiki and Ranma cried aloud. The girl whirled to see them and ran to the pair. They received her with open arms

"Ranma and Mercenary girl still got hugs for Shampoo?" the bubbly girl asked, snuggling into their embrace.

"Of course we have Shampoo" Nabiki replied with tenderness and kissed the girl's head. Meanwhile Ranma extracted his bad arm, teeth clenched to suppress a outcry of pain.

"How did you?" Ranma asked.

"Shampoo bat-bat out of window on pretty pink wings. Steal silly man's bus and drive round round in circles till see Ranma and Mercenary girl doing the nasty in garden." Shampoo replied with hand actions. "You want go go now?" she asked tilting her head to the side.

"We've gotta get Akane" Ranma answered. But it was at that moment that the reat of the crew returned, with Akane resting in her father's arms, wrapped in a silk sheet. They all loaded up into the bus, with Nabiki looking forlornly at the priceless power suit they were leaving behind.

The bus lifted for the sky, with some resentment, and they jetted for Nerima at best speed. In the back tofu hugged Kasumi, Soun hugged Akane and Shampoo, Nabiki and Ranma all sat together in one happy sprawl. Konatsu was driving and quickly checking in with Ukyo to check she had managed to keep the heat off.


	12. Just deserts

**Chapter 12: To the Future.**

The family Tendo, with extras in tow, returned to Tofu's clinic. There the doctor strapped and splinted Ranma's arm and saw to everyone's less severe injuries in a parade of bruises and scrapes. Akane was another matter she remained unconscious and there was little Tofu could do for her. The Phoenix Doctor had done his work, and Tofu lacked the expertise to undo it.

While Tofu phoned around the others sat in his small living room, they had cycled through his small shower and borrowed some clothes. Kasumi had made tea and they were all quietly enjoying a moment's respite. Adrenaline had fled and exhaustion was rapidly replacing it, even Shampoo who was doing a passable sleepy kitten impression on Nabiki's lap.

"What I don't get is how they knew we were coming?" Ranma mused, Nabiki and the others looked around shrugging. Then Kasumi spoke up.

"The captain woman said that someone called Higurashi had earned his money" she said, uncertainly, "I remember because it sounded just like the name of Nabiki's friend." Nabiki's face had paled, and Ranma's good hand was white at the knuckles.

"It was his back room we did our planning in" Nabiki said coldly.

"I don't understand," Kasumi asked, "Higurashi-san is your friend"

"Just like he was Akane's" Nabiki replied.

"And Ranma's father's" Soun added.

"What?" Ranma asked. Soun looked shocked that Ranma didn't know.

"He was the man that set your father up for the internal affairs," Soun explained "I thought you knew."

"No I didn't" Ranma replied, buttoning his borrowed shirt and slowly rising to his feet.

"Ranma Nabiki said, concern in her voice. "You can't go off half-cocked on this one." He stopped and fixed her with a glare. "You are injured and tired, you don't want to take on his Yojimbo." Ranma sat back down.

"What do you want me to do?" he asked, coldly, "forget it?"

"No!" replied Nabiki forcefully, "We do this my way. He pays, and he hurts, my way! Okay"

"Okay, Nabiki" Ranma said, "but if this doesn't…"

"Deal!" Nabiki agreed. Then she moved through to the next room to make some calls, but stopped on the way out. "And I promise you can do the last bit."

-

* * *

- 

That evening Tofu finally came out of his office, Soun left Akane's bedside and Nabiki stopped her calls. With the exception of Konatsu, who had gone home to sleep, they all gathered together, to share a meal. The earlier elation had given way to the sombre reality that they had not quite made it in time to completely save Akane, and that nobody seemed to be able or willing to disclose the remedial methods. Added to that Ranma was feeling increasingly nervous being topside, he simply had too many enemies to paint such a big target on him and those near him. The only person who didn't seem to be feeling down was Shampoo, who as ever seemed to be fighting a cuteness contest with a basketful of playful kittens.

On the plus side the news had reported the attack as part of the growing inter-house rivalry that was splitting the noble houses into factions. As yet nobody seemed to be connecting Ranma and his crew with what amounted to a lethal assault on one of the city's most eminent citizens. Konatsu had phoned to tell them the heat was looking elsewhere, but that Ukyo had been forced to pull double shifts to assist the increased lock-down.

"How's the plan going?" Ranma asked, mostly just to fill the silence.

"All on track" she replied, "it's cost more than a couple of yen but with any luck we'll see results tomorrow." There was an evil aspect to her half-smile. "Should have final resolution by the end of the week."

After dinner the group split up again. Soun and Tofu back to the patient, Kasumi to the kitchen and Shampoo fell asleep on the couch. Which left only Ranma and Nabiki, looking at each other.

"Is there any chance that you are er…. feeling tired and not thinking straight?" Ranma asked, his face colouring. Nabiki smiled, broad and mischievous.

"Now that you mention it" she purred, trailing her nails along the back of his good hand.

-

* * *

-

The two of them were lying entwined in a bed in Tofu's spare room. Ranma looked up at Nabiki's beautiful face, framed by the night lights of the city coming in the window. She was looking back at his face as if searching for something.

"What?" he whispered kissing her lips. She sat up and shook her head.

"I don't know how you do it Ranma, you make me feel like some fairytale princess. When I am with you I feel like there's nothing we can't do." She said. He sat up too and wrapped his arms around her, nuzzling into her neck.

"But…." he cued. She turned to face him, eyes shining.

"But it doesn't change a thing," she said, clutching herself to his chest. "Tomorrow or the next day you are going to go back to the Nekohanten, and I will be left alone up here." Now she was crying freely, he tried to talk and she shushed him with a finger. "No, its not the way I want it, I don't think I have ever wanted anything as much as I want you, but I can't keep you can I."

"No I guess not," said Ranma, wrapping his good arm around her and up into her hair, clutching her to him. "But that doesn't mean we can't try." She leaned away and looked into his eyes.

Nodding she said "You're right. But what, how?"

"I really don't know," he replied, "how about we take it as it comes." She smiled and kissed him. "As long as we keep our eyes on the prize we can do anything," he challenged. She pulled him in for a deeper kiss.

"What prize is that?" she whispered, with a joking smile. Just as he was starting to show her the door was pushed open with a bang and someone rushed the two of them. A bouncy, lavender haired beauty jumped into the bed, squeezed between them and started shimmying out of her clothes.

"Shampoo" the two of them cried. The girl in question stopped and looked from one to the other.

"What?" she asked, looking cute and confused, "did Shampoo do something wrong?" she added seeing Nabiki's tear tracks. Nabiki stroked the china-girl's hair, and looked at Ranma, and then back at their new companion.

"No Shampoo, Ranma and I have just finished working something out." Nabiki said.

"You not arguing are you?" Shampoo asked, concerned.

"No" Ranma replied, settling back down. Shampoo took this as an invitation, having inspected it for comfiness borrowed his good arm and used it as a pillow. Nabiki smiled at the two of them, and, taking hold of Ranma's outstretched hand, she lay down properly her side. Ranma pulled the cover back over all of them and whispered "Good night girls." All three quickly drifted off to sleep.

-

* * *

-

Nabiki was rudely awoken, some git was knocking at their door, and opening it. Seconds later a VERY embarrassed Tofu stood in the doorway, looking at three very naked young people sharing a bed and a sheet that really did not cover enough. "Er erm, er" he said, "There's a guy in the waiting room he er wants to talk to you, er Nabiki you."

"I'll be right out," she said, starting to climb over the others. Shampoo spread out more, stretching. Ranma groaned

"Wassup?"

"Nothing just someone in Tofu's lobby," she replied "I'll be right back. She dressed quickly, stealing his larger borrowed shirt and her own cut of shorts.

Which is how she ended up meeting a Yakuza area boss looking like she had just got out of bed.

"Nabiki," Higurashi said "you look….well." besides his mere presence the tone in his voice was setting off all sorts of alarms.

"Higurashi" she said, deliberately leaving off any title. This caused him to sit back in mock surprise.

"Aren't we feeling confident for someone living out of a friends back room?" he said with menace in his voice. Nabiki knocked on the door and calmly called for Ranma and then turned back to the crimelord.

"Higurashi, a lot has happened since we last met," she said, sitting down and crossing her long legs. "As a good student I long ago assembled some 'insurance' against the day you and I clashed. Until yesterday I really don't think that I knew quite how good that insurance was." At this point Ranma arrived, dressed once again only in a set of trousers, and behind him came Shampoo in one of her trademark mini dresses.

"In the end I talked directly to your boss of bosses. He wasn't very happy." Ranma had started towards Higurashi, impending violence written all over him. Nabiki held up a hand. "I am expecting a call any day now. I expect the result may change a few things around here." She was all but gloating and he had gone white as a sheet.

"Nabiki, after all I have done for you?" he said pleading. He turned to Ranma "Ranma my lad, do you think you could have a word with her, stop her doing something rash your father and I we were good friends and-" at that point he stopped talking, the fire that was shining from Ranma's eyes putting him off his stride.

"You really shouldn't have mentioned his father," Nabiki stage whispered. Ranma took two steps over to the crimeboss, lifted him up by the throat and growled. Higurashi gulped down the lump that had formed in his windpipe.

"I know where your mother is" he whispered, struggling for breath.

"I Don't Need Your Help!" he growled, squeezing his hand tighter.

"Ranma," Nabiki called, "I really don't think Tofu needs a dead crimeboss in his lobby." Ranma seemed to consider it for a moment then pushed the front door open and stepped outside. "That's not what I meant," Nabiki sighed, and moved to follow.  
-

* * *

- 

Outside Ranma was kicking the overweight criminal across the plaza. The one bodyguard that he had brought with him moved to interfere, but Ranma broke his nose with a single, lightning fast palm strike and then jabbed the splinter upwards with a slower, more deliberate second blow.

Higurashi used the respite to get to his knees. "Please Ranma, I'll give you money. I'll make amends, I'll do anything"

"Too late!" Ranma said and snap-kicked the fat man into the safety barrier around the plaza. The fat man hit with a meaty 'thwack' and fell to the ground wheezing. Ranma stalked up to him and lifted him up, bending his back over the railing. Ranma gave him a moment to realise what was about to happen and then tipped him over.

Higurashi screamed all the way to city bottom.

"That may not have been the smartest thing to do," Nabiki observed, leaning over the rail. Ranma, calming down, looked at her in dawning comprehension. "I think its about time you started running" she said. He nodded. "Wait!" she commanded then gave him a kiss and whispered "I'll see you at Obaba's" into his ear. He smiled and took off.


	13. The shape of things to come

**Chapter 13: The way forward.**

Ranma was sitting at the counter of the Nekohanten eating a steaming bowl of ramen while telling Cologne the details of the last few days. Somehow she had persuaded him to concentrate on the juicier aspects of his growing relationship with Nabiki, even if he couldn't actually bring himself to go into as much graphic description as she wanted. She could have pushed him but feared he might bust something if he made him blush any more.

He heard a familiar cry of happiness and all of a sudden he was subject to a full body glomp Shampoo style. The girl was bouncing with glee while attached to Ranma, net result one very embarrassed Ranma and two very amused friends. The moment Ranma heard Nabiki's laugh he leapt up and span around.

"Wheeeee!" shouted Shampoo.

"How's it going hero?" Nabiki asked slinking towards him.

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End file.
